Reflections
by Charmkeeper
Summary: Fai listens to the rain after a long day, thinking about all that has happened, Kurogane makes him wish he could change some of his decisions. If he was given the choice how would he change them, will he change his future? Spoilers warning.
1. Chapter 1

A//N: This story contains spoilers from later on in the series if you do not want to know information past volume 14 please do not read this story. Thank you.

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It was raining. Fai could hear it from where he lay on his bed, head against his pillow, hands behind his head, listening. It wasn't loud or hard, in a way the sound made Fai tired, made him want to fall asleep… 

Fai D. Flourite in fact wanted to do just that, fall asleep. He wanted to forget everything that had happened recently…but he could not. His hand drifted to where his left eye should be…but instead, as usual nowadays, he only found an eye patch…

Everything had been going so well until then…until the seal on Syaoran had broken and he had his eye gouged out…the pain then had been enormous…but he had felt worse yet not too long later…the blood from Kamui and Kurogane…

Fai's head turned when he heard the door open, "Kurogane…" the magician's voice sounded a bit surprised although really Fai wasn't at all surprised, he knew Kurogane would show up sooner or later…

"You haven't drank today." Fai was plenty aware of this and turned his head back to the ceiling, still able to hear the pitter pat of rain on the roof.

"I know." Fai closed his eye, placing both his hands behind his head once more, unlike in pervious worlds, since a little before they had arrived in the world of Infinity Fai did not smile very often. It had actually become a rare sight, and unfortunately, this was not one of those sights.

"So…" Kurogane paused for a moment, "Come drink." Fai frowned now, he could smell blood, Kurogane's blood, dripping slowly to the floor from his freshly cut wrist. Fai wanted to complain…he hadn't asked for this! He hadn't asked for Kamui to turn him into a vampire! He didn't want to drink Kurogane's blood everyday to live. He had asked to die…he had wanted to die.

But Kurogane had refused him his wish…

"Come on, do you want it to drip wastefully to the floor?" Fai sighed, sitting up and shaking his head no. No he didn't want to waste Kurogane's blood.

In earlier worlds Fai would have joked about something like that, making fun of it, and calling Kurogane a silly name, like Kuro-tan, or Kuro-rin…no more…he could no longer call Kurogane that, he had taken it far too far, long before he had noticed it. He had done something he never should have. He had grown close to his companions, not just Kurogane, but Syaoran, Sakura, and even Mokona. But he had grown fonder of Kurogane more than anyone else…

He should have never done that. He was so stupid!

The mage slowly rose to his feet, walking slowly, but gracefully across the floor, at least that had not changed, even with only half his eyesight he was still very graceful, like water almost. "Don't move." he told Kurogane a soft voice.

"I'm not going to." Fai of course knew this, Kurogane never moved. They had said the exact same words to each other when Fai had first woken up after being changed…

Stopping about a foot from the ninja he reached out his hand, taking Kurogane's wrist and slowly bringing it up to his lips, keeping eye contact all the while he did this…once he felt Kurogane's wrist touch his lips he let his eye close and sucked on the wound, drawing more blood from his companions body into his mouth.

To him it was bittersweet. The taste of blood to a vampire is of course like water to a dehydrated human…it's like the kiss of life and nothing in this or any other world could possibly taste better. On the other hand it was still bitter tasting, he did not want to take blood from Kurogane or anyone else. He hadn't wanted this at all, he had wanted to die, let his magic die with him, he had not been strong enough to fight with Kurogane at the time and now they both paid for it.

It was strange though, so many rumors about vampires, they couldn't walk in the sun, hated crosses, all these things were untrue, he did not even need to take blood from Kurogane's neck, it could be from anywhere, and he did not have the fangs needed to pierce Kurogane's neck in the first place…

Another thing, it had to be Kurogane, it couldn't be anyone else for Fai, Fai had to take his blood, Kurogane had willing paid the price of becoming Fai's "E." Fai's one and only prey as a vampire…

"Enough." Fai said pulling away from Kurogane's wrist, "No more." his chest heaved once as he ran the back of his hand over his mouth, he didn't want to taste anymore of the blood in his mouth right now…

Kurogane looked at his wrist as Fai went to go back to his bed, "That's barely half of what you took last time you drank."

This was true. Fai had been distracted then, people had been watching, and he had been trying to figure out who they were. "It's enough." Fai assured the man as he lay down on the bed again, leaning his head against the headboard looking out the window as it still continued to rain. It was slowing down now, soon it would surely stop.

The blond rested his hands lightly on his stomach, "Really, I'm fine."

"Liar," Kurogane's voice growled out at Fai. "If you need more blood come take it, or I'll personally kill you myself." he left the room, leaving Fai to himself once again.

Why was life so cruel? Fai couldn't help but wonder. Nothing in life turned out to be in the least bit okay. His childhood had been so awful…Ashura then had turned out to be sour as well, even though things had been going very well for a while…then he had temporarily fixed that problem…and even that solution was coming apart. Soon Ashura would surely come after him here, after he'd lost his eye and become a vampire.

After everything else that had happened he would be separated from both of the Syaorans and would never have the chance to help them, he would be separated from his princess Sakura. Most of all he would be separated from Kurogane, not only did he need Kurogane to survive currently he was very fond of him…

The rain became louder again and the pitter patter of the droplets on the roof made Fai's mind clear as sleep began to take him, this…all of this…it was so tiring…

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A//N: I originally planned for this to be a oneshot. But now I'm not sure if I should just leave it here or continue it, if you would please review this chapter and tell me your opinion that would be wonderful. Thank you for reading. 


	2. Chapter 2

Kurogane paced. Up and down the house, back and forth, back and forth. His blood red eyes flashing in every direction, that idiot mage! Kurogane had of course not expected the young magic wielder to be exactly the same after all that had happened, in fact Kurogane had hoped that some of his facade could melt away, show a bit of his true side, so that maybe, just maybe, he'd let someone be close enough to him to help him, to heal him.

But this was too much, the facade had melted away completely, so now, it was even harder to get close to the mage, to try to heal him…

Kurogane paused in font of Fai's door for about the fifth time that night, was the man finally asleep? Or was he still pretending? The swordsman lightly pushed the door open, heading inside to see the truth for himself… Fai was still awake. His eye was closed and his breathing was even, but he was awake. Kurogane was sure of it. Why? Fai was still laying on his back. Fai never laid on his back to sleep, it was his stomach, stomach and face down on the bed.

"Mage." Fai's clear blue eye opened and he sat up on the bed.

"What's wrong Kurogane? I was asleep…" the blond rubbed his head, he most certainly looked like he'd been asleep…

"You were sleeping the wrong way." Kurogane said simply. Fai gave him a strange look as the mage stopped rubbing his head.

"There's now a right and wrong way to sleep?"

Kurogane wanted to growl, "No, that's not how you sleep, you sleep on your stomach. That's how you've always slept."

Fai frowned slightly, the sound of thunder sounding in the distance as the rain moved farther and farther away. The lanky man swung his legs over the edge of the bed gracefully, to stand up, glancing at the clock for a mere moment, checking how long he'd been asleep before he stood to his feet. The man came forward to Kurogane putting his hands out and cupping the other's face, "You always notice the strangest things about me Kurogane…" Fai's voice was soft, the very same as the smile that crossed his face at this time. The smile was not at all like the smile the man had used to smile when he had both of his eyes. This smile held pain and sorrow, and yet love within it. "It would be better if you would just ignore these things."

Kurogane stepped back, away from the soft warm hands that touched his face, "I can't. People can't just not see things that are so obvious Mage. You can't ignore something you know is happening." Kurogane knew this wasn't true, that Fai and himself had done it many, many times, ignored things that had been felt, wanted, seen, and things that had happened., so many things could be ignored, but he refused to let anything more happen to Fai. The loss of his eye to Syaoran had been enough.

Fai's hands lingered in the place that they had been touching Kurogane's face for a moment before falling to his side, "Well…then don't ignore it, just don't bother me about it…if I needed help with anything, I'd ask someone."

"Liar." Kurogane growled, this time he was the one to reach out and grab at Fai's shoulders shaking the smaller man back and forth slightly. "You used to act all happy all the time, that was false to avoid anyone trying to help you at all!"

Fai's eye searched over Kurogane's face as if looking for the reason why the man seemed to be able to see straight into his soul rather than just looking at his former smile like everyone else had… "If that were true Kurogane, why do you think I would ask for help now?"

"I don't think that…" the man leaned forward until their faces were mere inches apart, "I think if you keep this up someone is going to force help onto you until you accept it and finally heal, and get over whatever happened to you."

Fai leaned back and pulled away from Kurogane heading to the window and looking away from the man staring as the rain fell onto the roof and ground, now silent, no longer did the calming sound enter his ears. "No one will do that Kurogane, you are the only one who sees past me, and besides…" the mage shrugged as if his entire life was nothing, "I'm fine with me the way I am, I don't want or need help."

The larger man glared at the blond and turned around heading to the door, "Who says someone won't force it on you?" leaving Fai in that thought the man left the room slamming the door behind him.

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'He wouldn't really do that…would he?' this one question had haunted Fai's mind since the ninja had said it…he hoped desperately that the answer was: 'No he wouldn't, it was all words,' but Fai couldn't be sure, Kurogane didn't often go back on anything he said…

There wasn't even a chess match to distract him that day, the next one wasn't for a few days. So all Fai could do was walk around in his black clothing and stew more and more under these thoughts…

A few people watched the mage as he walked down the streets of Infinity his blond hair contrasting greatly with the black clothing the chess pieces of his team wore to separate themselves from the white teams.

"Hey, isn't he pretty?"

"Yeah, but I wonder what happened to his eye…"

Comments like this filled Fai's ears constantly, and he ignored them. The only think he could think of was the words that man said to him, he always had to make Fai think, remember, do things Fai did not want to do…

"What are you doing out here alone?" Fai's eye widened and he whirled around to see the very man he was thinking about behind him.

"Kurogane…" the red eyed man came up to Fai's side, lightly pulling at his sleeve to make him keep walking.

"You shouldn't be out here alone, who knows who will try to attack you."

"The key word in that sentence is try." Fai commented shoving his callous free hands into his pockets, looking away from Kurogane, he both wanted the man to go away and to stay…he couldn't decide which he wanted more.

The ninja made a face and whacked Fai on the back of his head. "Stupid mage." Fai glared and rubbed the back of his head, he had not expected the attack and thus had not been able to dodge like he usually could.

"What was that for?!"

"Your stubbornness!" Kurogane yelled, pushing the blond against a building wall, pressing his shoulders harshly against it, "You can't even admit you need help! Well guess what Mage? I'm not standing by anymore, who knows what damage you could do, I don't care if you need help or not, I'm forcing myself onto you…"

"Kurogane…" Fai breathed out, "That hurts…let go…" the black haired man roughly let go of his shoulders, but did not let Fai escape.

"Do you understand? I'm going to help you, meaning you will never be without me until you're healed."

"That's nice, I'll just have to ignore you." Fai said coldly, pushing himself off the wall and brushing off the sleeves of his jacket.

"Oh no…" Kurogane leaned forward whispering into Fai's ear, letting his breath hit it, "I'm going to make it so you can't ignore me…"

"Then it's not help, it's annoying." Fai forced himself past Kurogane and stormed down the street, leaving Kurogane to either leave or follow. He was becoming annoying, not only did Fai have to survive off him, he was trying to become closer to him, that was something Fai did not want. Fai didn't want to really become close to anyone…he didn't want them to be hurt.

Kurogane of course choice to follow his mage, it didn't matter what Fai wanted. Kurogane would make sure that there was improvement in his condition, if that didn't happen…well, the kid and the girl would start to notice, and then more problems would come from there.

All the ninja knew was that bad things would happen if he didn't help Fai. He didn't know what would come from it, and he knew it didn't really concern him right now, but Kurogane wanted to go home, and that he had figured out depended on all of them…not just him, as much as he hated to admit it. He wouldn't let Fai die physically, and the same went for emotionally.

Now all Kurogane had to figure out was what he could do to help the other man…this would be hard.

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I did decide to continue it...I'm open to ideas, because I know where it's going to end, but I have little ideas for the middle, so please Read and Review.


	3. Chapter 3

It began. The white pieced darted forward followed by the black pieces. Weapons clashed and blows were thrown as the battle went on.

Kurogane felt good, so far nothing bad had happened and they seemed to be winning. The white team faltered more and more as time went on.

Then it happened. Out of the corner of his eye Kurogane saw Fai get hit and the blond dropped to his knees.

A small growl escaped Kurogane's lips as he fought his way to Fai's side. Stupid Mage! What was he thinking? Letting himself be open enough to get that way?

As he finally got close enough to see him clearly he saw Fai was bleeding from his side as he both tried to get up and fight off his opponent at the same time.

Reaching his side Kurogane knocked the person away from his teammate and bluntly told him, "Stay down."

Fai shook his head, slowly rising to his feet. "I may be down Kurogane, but I am not out." After a second's pause Fai swung out and blocked an attack from someone on the white team.

"Don't worry about me Kurogane. Worry about yourself."

Despite this request from Fai Kurogane would not leave his side until the long battle was over.

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"Fai-san." The other Syaoran came into the room where Fai sat, bandaging his wound before going off to bed. "Are you all right?"

Slowly the mage rose to his feet, not wincing in the slightest, if he was in pain, he didn't show it. "No. Thank you. Princess Sakura is in her room isn't she?" A slow nod from Syaoran sent Fai walking out of the room to where Sakura's room was.

Kurogane stood by the door after the mage entered it, listening for anything important that might be of importance.

Within the room Sakura's voice could be heard as she seemed to speak to Fai. The tone was too soft to be understood outside of the room. All Kurogane could get out of it was that she was slowing falling asleep as she spoke.

It stopped. Sakura stopped speaking. Movement could be heard within the room and finally Fai's voice whispered something that the ninja couldn't make out. His footsteps became louder as he came closer to the door and then the knob turned, the door opening as the mage went to leave the room.

The mage quietly closed the door behind him before speaking. "What are you doing here?" he asked as if Kurogane didn't live within the house and should thus leave.

"Have you drank today?" a needless question to ask seeing as Kurogane would know if Fai had.

"You know if I have or not…and don't answer a question with a question." Fai didn't even so much as look at Kurogane as he began to walk down the hall, knowing Kurogane followed him.

"How's your side?"

"Fine. Just fine." Kurogane reached out gently prodding the injured side waiting a mere moment before Fai simply collapsed to the floor.

"Fine huh?"

Fai huffed and pulled himself to his feet again. "Yes. Fine. I'll survive." The mage brushed off his clothes and walked forward away from the man again, and again Kurogane followed him.

The mage opened the door to his room and finally looked to the ninja giving him such a glare it made the other stop. "What do you want?"

"The same thing I wanted before." Kurogane took another step towards Fai, "To help you." he reached out as if to touch the magician in some way, but Fai slapped his hand away harshly.

"Stay away from me. I don't need help. I don't want help."

"I can't stay away forever Mage. You need my blood."

"I can try." With that said the blond opened the door and went inside, leaning against it from within knowing the black haired man was still outside the door waiting for him to fall asleep or to open the door again begging for forgiveness or whatever. It would never happen. Fai would never turn to anyone for help.

A sigh was heard as Fai pushed himself off the door again, pulling the black coat off his body, it needed to be repaired as did the shirt underneath it. They were black so the blood did not show up, but Fai could smell it, and there were holes in the garments where the blade had cut.

Grabbing another shirt from the dresser Fai pulled the old shirt off and the new one on. The bandages that had been put on the wound were already bloodstained and by morning they would need to be changed.

Long fingers reached up to the blond hair that now reached the mage's shoulders pulling a rubber band from the locks, setting it atop the dresser before the comb was taken in it's place.

Fai ran the comb through his hair repeatedly as he walked over to the small, gold mirror that was propped on one wall. Quickly the comb went, through the hair again and again. It ripped through any tangles that were there mercilessly as Fai watched himself do this in the mirror.

The combing slowed to a stop as Fai seemed to get pulled in deeper and deeper by his own reflection. His face softened at the sight and looked sad. His hand reached up and his fingertips pressed against the reflective glass. "You should be here…" the outspoken thought was said very softly, Fai himself didn't seem to realize he'd even said anything.

For what seemed to be a long time Fai stood like that, looking into the mirror, fingers pressed to it as if he wanted to enter the world beyond it. Then finally his eye looked to the floor and his arm dropped.

The mage pulled away from the mirror reluctantly, going and placing the comb on the dresser next to the rubber band. A pause ensued this action before he finally walked slowly to his bed laying down on it, placing his hands behind his head.

Rain began to fall again, softly sounding on the roof and making the one eye Fai had left droop until it closed.

At least a half hour passed before Fai's body relaxed and his hands moved from their position behind his head. More time passed before his breathing evened out, and at last the man turned over onto his stomach, face head down on the pillow. Fai was asleep.

The door clicked as it closed. Kurogane frowned, placing his fists on his hips as he thought. What had Fai meant by 'You should be here'? Who had he been talking to? Himself? That seemed to be the most likely answer especially since he'd been looking at himself in the mirror, and yet it couldn't be right. It made no sense to tell yourself that you should be here. You are there, where else would you be other than where you are?

The ninja pressed two fingers to his lips as he walked off to his own room now, it was pointless to stay now that the Idiot Mage was asleep. He would return to pestering him about his needing help in the morning, after they all had a good sleep. They needed to rest before the next chess match.

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"Come in." the doorknob turned and Kurogane entered the room to see Fai trying to bandage the wound Fai had received yesterday during the chess match.

"What do you want?" Fai said yawning a bit, he didn't look like he'd slept very well the night before.

The ninja did not speak a word, instead came over and took the bandages from Fai starting to do it himself.

Fai winced, "Kurogane, that's too tight, you'll reopen the wound." He didn't seem to pay the blonds words any mind as he continued to wrap the bandages just as tightly until a whimper escaped from him.

"Does it really hurt that much?" red eyes glanced up at the blue one.

Fai nodded. "It's too tight. I can feel the clot cracking." Kurogane let his hands fall from the bandages.

"Well I can't do it too lightly, how else am I supposed to it?" Fai frowned for a bit before taking a small bit of cloth and wrapping it around the other's arm, tying it at about the tightness that it should be.

After a minute of no movement Kurogane gave a small nod and then rewrapped the bandages around Fai's stomach more gingerly and loosely. "Better?"

"Yes." the mage seemed to let out a sigh of relief before standing up and pulling his shirt on, "Although I could have done it myself."

"Yes, you could have." the ninja stood to his feet putting his hands to Fai's face and making the man look at him. "But you don't have to. Just because you can doesn't mean you have no other choice. No one has to go through life alone."

There was a silent moment before Kurogane let go of Fai's face and left the room, leaving the blond alone within the room to ponder those words.

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Okay so I finally got another chapter up. I finally got the basic idea of how the story is going to go now. I thank myself for the title of the fic, it helped a lot. I'm still open to suggestions though.

Needless to say it's going to go a bit slower now that school has started again, also I need to write it down normally before I type it up so that takes a while, but I am working on this story.

Please Read and Review.


	4. Chapter 4

"Must you follow me?" Fai's voice sounded rather annoyed as he walked down the street, his jacket carried in the crook of his arm. He walked at a quickened pace, as if he were trying to get away from someone. A few feet behind him you could see the clear outline of Kurogane, clearly following him. 

"You're still injured, can't have you collapsing on the street."

Fai rolled his eyes once he heard this poor excuse for an excuse. "In Outo when I injured my leg you didn't do this. In fact you said you hated my kind, 'those who no longer try to live.' Why change that now?"

"You know my reasons."

The mage sighed, turning and going into a small shoppe. A man stood behind the counter and Fai kindly handed him the coat that had been damaged in the earlier chess match. "I seem to have made a rather large hole in my jacket." He explained this as the mender behind the counter ran his expert fingers over the gash. "I was hoping that you could fix it, rather than me going out and buying a whole new one."

"Something like this is going to take a while, and cost you a pretty penny, it might be cheaper to buy a new one, but if you insist I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you." Knowing that his jacket was in good enough hands the blond made his way out of the shoppe. He noted that Kurogane stood waiting at the foot of the stairs for him. "Where are you going now?"

"Syaoran asked me to stop and pick up a couple things at the store if I felt up to it."

"Do you feel up to it?"

"I wouldn't be going if I didn't."

They continued to walk down the street one in front of the other, the gap between them not closing in the slightest. Kurogane noticed how Fai seemed to become more and more tired as he walked, although his pace didn't let up.

The magic wielder visited various specialty stores looking at a small piece of paper that Syaoran had given him. He bought various items that were written down on the page, including food, spare clothes, blankets, and other essential items that they would need for the remainder of their stay.

"You're tiring." Kurogane said at the grocery store, as Fai reached up to get something off a high shelf.

"I'm fine," even though the man was tall, even on his tip toes Fai couldn't reach the thing he wanted and after a moment Kurogane reached up and got it for him.

Fai glanced at the thing Kurogane held out to him and snatched it out of his outstretched hand, putting it into the basket, "I don't need help Kurogane."

"It's not help Mage, it's logic. You're too short to get it, I'm taller than you, I get it for you. It's simple. And besides if I hadn't done it for you a person who works here would have done it anyway."

A sigh could be heard as Fai turned away heading to another isle. "I guess you're right." these words could hardly be heard as he walked away they were mumbled so softly.

The swordsman smiled as he continued to follow the magician, it wasn't much but it was a very small step towards what he wanted. A very small step was better than nothing.

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"You, come here." Kurogane's red eyes looked over to the person who had summoned him. It was the woman who ran the antique shop Fai was currently in. 

"What do you want?"

"You look like you have something on your mind," the woman behind the desk said smiling.

"Everyone has something on their minds." A small laugh was heard and the woman handed the ninja a small mirror.

"You seem to be concerned about someone other than yourself."

Kurogane looked the mirror over, turning it around and around in his hands. Unlike everything else in the antique shop the mirror looked brand new. "Yeah, so?"

"Turn on the switch on the back of the mirror and recite your wish to it. It will help you achieve your wish as best as it can until you turn the mirror off again. However it only works if you use your wish to help someone else."

"Wishes aren't free lady." Even though he knew this to be true Kurogane couldn't help but glance back to where the mage leafed through various books trying to find information on legends.

"No. True, wishes aren't free, but this mirror will only help you achieve your wish so that the price isn't so high and you probably won't even notice that the price is being paid. It will be paid in full by the time you turn the mirror off."

"The wish is temporary?"

The woman nodded, "You may end it at any time if it goes wrong."

"It sounds too good."

"It depends on how the wish plays out. It all depends."

"How much?"

"Free from me as long as you bring it back when you're done."

"And you're giving me this why?"

The woman's smile never seemed to fade, if anything it brightened. "Call it fate."

He opened his mouth to argue more, but just at that moment Fai closed the book he'd been looking at and began to walk out of the door. "All right, but this better work!" the swordsman didn't wait for her response as he bounded out the door to make sure nothing happened to the blond.

* * *

The mirror was set securely on a nightstand as everything that had been bought that was being put away. 

"Mage." Kurogane used a commanding voice was the red eyes watched Fai run back and forth across the kitchen. "Rest. You've been up on your feet since breakfast."

The magician shook his head, "Don't be ridiculous. I'm fine. Besides, there's only a little bit--" Fai stopped walking mid-step and fell to the ground. "More."

As soon as Kurogane realized what had happened he dashed to Fai's side to help him up. This caused Fai to slap his hand away as he tried to pull himself to his feet. "Don't! I'm fine. I can do it myself. I just tripped." As he said this his arms gave out causing the blond to crumple to a small pile on the floor.

Kurogane raised his eyebrows, "You can do it yourself? If you ask me it looks like you can barely breathe by yourself." The black haired man reached down ignoring the weak complaints thrown at him as he picked Fai up into his arms as if he were a child. Fai felt like a child. Sure he was too tall for a child, but he didn't weigh much and he felt so fragile, as if he'd shatter at any moment.

"Fai." Kurogane growled when the mage continued to complain. "There is such a thing as independence, but there is also such a thing as idiocy. You can't even gather the energy to walk right now. Stop being idiotic and depend on me for a minute here."

The mage seemed to throw the idea around in his head a bit before he relaxed in the ninjas arms, folding his arms and not looking at Kurogane. "Take me to my room so I can rest."

Kurogane sighed in relief before obediently walking off to Fai's room and setting him down on his bed.

As soon as the first blond hair hit the pillow Fai was fast asleep. Kurogane stepped back and smirked a bit, no matter how troubled he looked while he was awake Fai always looked peaceful when he was truly asleep.

The door clicked shut as he left the room and went into his own room. His hand slid across the top of the dresser and grabbed the mirror before the man plopped down on the bed.

He began to turn the mirror around in his hands again, like he had in the shop. It looked like the Hijutsu mirror Chun'nyan had possessed, but it had a switch on it. Even though Kurogane didn't have a magical sense like Fai seemed to have the man would have to guess that the mirror wasn't really magical at all, it was just some machine Infinity had come up with.

He stopped turning the mirror in his hands and looked into it. Surprise came over his face as he did not see himself, but Fai himself was smiling back at him. The left eye was still missing from the face, but he was smiling just like he used to.

What could it hurt to wish to help Fai? Especially with the condolence that if the wish went bad that he could just turn the mirror off?

Kurogane's fingers went to the switch and turned the mirror on. "I want to learn how to help Fai."

Nothing seemed to happen and Kurogane frowned a bit wondering if something was wrong until he heard a crash and thoughts of the mirror left his mind as he ran to Fai's room.

Once the door was opened Kurogane could see Fai standing up by what he had heard break. "Ohhh...Fai-chan isn't going to like that..." Not only did Kurogane notice that Fai was speaking in third person he noticed that his voice was different. It was quieter, younger if that was possible.

"Mage? What are you doing up?" Just a half hour ago Fai hadn't even been able to move almost, now he was up and about as if nothing had happened.

"Ah?" Fai looked up from the broken glass on the floor and grinned widely at Kurogane. He ran forward hugging the man tightly and nuzzling his face in the ninja's chest. "Kuro-san! I'm so happy to see you!"

* * *

A/N: Yes I am one of those evil people who will leave you there until I post next time...Review if you want to find out.

If you've been confused by the grammar or anything tell me. My writing system was being weird and for evey bit of grammar I'd uploaded the system made into a strange symbol and I had to spend a couple hours changing it all. I think I got it all, but I can't be sure.

Anyway, thanks for reading! See you next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

A//N: Parts of this get so confusing. Feel free to point out any complicated parts within this so that I can go back a bit later and try to fix them. I'm pretty satisfied, but I can't be sure I smoothed out everything.

The story has started to write itself and I can't be sure where it's going now. That is a bad thing. I need to regain control of my own stories!

Enjoy!

* * *

Kurogane stared at Fai. What had made Fai so happy? It couldn't have been the mirror, the mirror was only supposed to help Kurogane help Fai. It wasn't supposed to simply make him happy. 

While Kurogane was preoccupied by these thoughts Fai pulled away from Kurogane's chest. A slightly curious look crossed his face before a smile appeared. His long fingers reached up and slowly pulled Kurogane's face down to his before giving him a kiss on his lips.

The instant this happened Kurogane was wrenched from his thoughts and his whole body jerked back away from Fai, "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Fai looked very upset his blue eye looking like it might just cry. He put his hands behind his back and looked to the ground as his left foot lightly drew circles on the floor. "Do you really not like Fai-chan? That's not fair, Fai-chan loves you."

There it was again, that soft childish tone. It wasn't only that either. The way he moved and held himself, even the facial expressions, they were all like that of a child. Sure Fai used to act childish, but he always looked like a full grown man. This...this looked like a very small boy in the body of a full grown man! Lastly he continued to use third person for himself.

"What do you mean 'Fai loves me'?! You're Fai! And don't give me crap like that, stop playing around!"

Fai chuckled, then the chuckle turned into a giggle. "Kuro-san is funny. Fai-chan does love you, but I'm not Fai-chan." The giggling continued, getting louder as it went.

This was confusing. "Well, if you're not the mage then who are you and where is he?"

The giggling stopped as 'Fai' straightened up, a calmer look coming to the blond's face. "Fai-chan is here." He put his hand to his head. "And Fai-chan is here." He put a finger to his head. "He's okay, he's just asleep." He paused, "I'm Yuui. Hmmm...I guess you could call me Fai's inner child."

"And you're only showing yourself now because...?"

"Well DUH!" Yuui jabbed a finger at Kurogane's chest. "You turned the mirror on! I'm only here to help you help Fai-chan!"

"You're my help? You're not exactly helping much."

Yuui whimpered a little at the insult. "Well I just woke up! I know Fai-chan better than Fai-chan knows himself. If you don't want my help turn the mirror off."

The ninja sighed, "Fine. Help me." He would't be like Fai. He would take help if it was given to him.

Yuui smiled, "Sit." He pointed to the bed and slowly Kurogane obeyed. Yuui grinned and sat on Kurogane's lap, wrapping his arms around the other's neck. "You know...I can see why Fai-chan loves you...You're strong and warm..." Yuui giggled and buried his head in Kurogane's chest again.

"Are you going to help me out or not?"

"Well for one thing Fai-chan needs more blood or he's not going to have the energy to do anything."

Kurogane nodded.

"Now, if you really want Fai to accept your help you need to question him about why he won't let you help him. Like when you questioned him about why he'd used his magic back in Acid Tokyo."

There was a long pause before Kurogane spoke, "Anything else?"

Yuui nodded, "Love him. Treat him with love and kindness. Love him like he loves you. Questions will break him open, but if you love him he'll heal and probably open up to you." Yuui grinned again.

"What if that doesn't work?"

"Then I'll have to figure out something else." Yuui cuddled closer to Kurogane nuzzling to his shoulder now. "Good night Kuro-san."

Yuui stopped all actions and closed his eyes. For a long time he was still, leaving Kurogane deep in thought, trying to come up with a strategy.

He got a small plan in his head and then removed the blond from his lap, laying him down on the bed and then cleaning up the glass object Yuui had broken.

after all this happened Fai opened his single blue eye and sat up rubbing his head. "How do you feel?"

"Fine."

Kurogane hadn't expected any other answer, but he could hope. "You need to drink."

Fai sighed and stood up looking at Kurogane with a blank stare. "Get it over with." With one click strike Kurogane cut a gash on his arm and held it out for Fai to take. The mage seemed to hesitate before he came and took the wound, bringing it to his mouth and beginning to drink.

Kurogane waited patiently until a few seconds before Fai would pull away. "So...if you're willing to drink my blood why aren't you willing to let me help you?"

The swordsman could practically feel Fai's eye widen from his question before he slowly pulled away. "The two are completely unrelated."

"Wrong mage. They are both 'help.' One is help for survival, the other for your peace of mind. I don't see the utter difference in them."

"I told you to let me die."

"I told you to live."

"Yes. You wouldn't let me make m own choice so now I stand here having to live off you! I despise you for that!"

Kurogane might have given up then if he hadn't remembered Yuui's words. _"Fai-chan loves you."_

A small smirk appeared on Kurogane's face as he looked at the blond who gave him a glare full to the brim with hate. "All right mage. Tell me, why do you despise me?"

"You see past me." As he began Fai's voice was shaky. "You alone saw past my smile and kept trying to take it away from me. I'd annoy you with named and remarks to make you leave me alone, but you wouldn't. You kept edging closer and closer to me, breaking down my barriers and not giving me anything to fix them with. You made me like you as a person. You were strong and self assured, everything I'm not and everything I want to be. You got a hold of my soul and gripped it so tightly that when I wanted to leave you pulled me back in and decided that I would be bound to your body until I die or get my other eye back. You wouldn't let me go!" Fai huffed and panted as he continued to glare at Kurogane.

"Anything else?"

Fai made a growling sound. "Can't you see?! All I ever wanted from you was for you to stay away so you wouldn't get hurt, and now you hurt yourself everyday on my behalf! You refuse even my simplest wish! I hate you! I would be happier if you just left me alone and I never saw you again!"

There was silence again and the two men stared at each other. Kurogane's face was perfectly calm, staring at Fai expectantly as if he waited for the magician to start ranting again. Fai's face was determined for a minute but when he saw Kurogane wasn't moving his lower lip trembled.

"You can stop waiting. I'm not leaving."

"WHY?!" Fai screamed dropping to his knees and gripping his hair as if he wanted to pull it straight out of his head. "Why?! I just told you I hate you, I despise you and that I wish you would leave me alone forever! Does that mean nothing to you?!"

"It means plenty, I just don't believe it means what you want me to believe it means."

"Then what do you believe it means? The words 'I hate you' are pretty self explanatory."

"I believe you don't hate me at all. I believe you love me." He paused looking at Fai to see if there was any reaction. There was. Fai's eye was as wide as it could get and the pupil was almost completely gone. "I believe you admire my 'strength' and 'self assurance.' You let me get a grip on your soul and make a decision for you because you love me and want me to notice you."

"No!" Fai's voice yelled out, ringing throughout the room, his hands going to his ears as if to try to block the words that were already in his head. "No, I don't want you to notice me! I don't want anyone to be hurt because of me!"

"Too late. No matter what you do others will be harmed or helped because of what you do, everyone you meet is affected."

"No..." Fai whimpered. "No..."

"Yes. You have to accept that and learn to make the best what you are given. You're not doing well at the moment." Kurogane lightly pulled Fai's hands away from his ears and shh-ed him. "I can't force you to change, but I want you to let me help you try."

"Why? Why do you want to help me?"

Kurogane sighed a bit at how panic stricken Fai seemed to be, wasn't he overreacting just a bit It wasn't really his place to decide, after all he didn't care about what happened in Fai's past, he only cared about now.

"I suppose it's because in my own way I love you too."

Fai shook his head trying to pull his wrists away from the other's hold. "No! No! You can't love me, you'll get hurt!"

"Does it matter?" The ninja growled this out in such a tone that Fai became still again. "Which would hurt you more; You getting hurt? Or you seeing someone you cared about getting hurt?"

Fai bit his lip and looked away. "The last one." His voice was so soft that for a moment Kurogane thought Yuui was back to scold him for doing it wrong somehow.

"So let me help you. I promise I won't get hurt and we'll both be happy in the end."

"You can't prom--"

"I promise." The growl made Fai flinch. "So will you let me help you?"

There was a pause and then Fai nodded very slowly. Kurogane smirked, success. "Good." He remembered what Yuui had told him, to love in and the man reached out and ruffled Fai's hair a bit, like he occasionally did for Syaoran. "How is your wound?"

"It's fine." Fai's hands slowly reached up trying to fix his hair, the fingers went about it clumsily, the look on the blonds face seeming to be in disbelief.

"Don't give me that."

"No!" Fai's voice was still in a panic from being emotionally attacked that way, but he seemed to be calming down more and more as the moments passed. "Really. It feels fine. It just drains my energy."

Kurogane nodded, "Why don't we late a look?" It was not a question.

Fai was briefly still before he pulled himself up onto the bed and pulled his shirt off, the clumsy fingers quickly undoing the bandaging that lay underneath the shirt.

As the bandages fell away Kurogane frowned. "It's much smaller than I remember it being."

"I'm not surprised. They did say that I'd heal a bit faster as a vampire than I used to."

Kurogane gave a sound that sounded like a huff before he ran his finger up the wound lightly. Fai made a funny noise in response, it sounded like it was between a laugh and a yelp of pain. "Kurogane! Don't do that, I'm not that healed yet."

"No, but you're getting there." Some of the scab had flaked off when he had touched it while others were still obviously healing. "It doesn't look infected so I guess we'll just wrap it up again for now."

Without complaint Fai took some gauze and handed it to Kurogane, letting him with the bandaging like he had that morning.

Once the swordsman had finished Fai pulled his shirt on over his head, smoothing it out. "We have a match tonight."

"I know. I don't think you should play."

"I have to."

"I know."

The pair sat silently, neither looking at the other. The air seemed almost dead. Finally after almost ten minutes of nothing the silence was broken. "You should rest more."

"You should too."

"You're wounded and exhausted."

"You just gave me a good fraction of your blood." Again there was a silence, but it lasted only seconds this time.

"Why don't you try to sleep a bit more mage? I'll go and check on the kid and the girl and then I'll come back, I'll try to rest when I do."

Kurogane could feel Fai lay down. "All right. That sounds fair enough." When Kurogane looked at the blond Fai's gaze stared straight back at him, waiting for the ninja to both leave the room and come back. He got up and left, the door making it's clicking sound as he did so.

Kurogane found Sakura in the kitchen putting away the things Fai hadn't put away before his legs had decided to stop obeying him. He didn't speak to her, it was Fai's job to communicate with her, he was the only one since Syaoran had left.

He turned away from the doorway and went onto find Syaoran, finding him right in front of Fai's door just about to knock on it, "Ah, Kurogane-san."

"What do you need? The mage is sleeping."

"Oh...um...well, I heard yelling coming from the room earlier and I wanted to make sure everything was all right." The boy rubbed the back of his head, "I tried to ignore it but..."

"It's all right. No he's fine, or at least he will be." Syaoran gave a short nod before going off to undoubtedly to find Sakura and make sure she was all right too.

As Kurogane opened the door he heard the voice both did and did not belong to Fai. Yuui was awake again. "How did I do?"

"Wonderfully." Yuui slid off the bed and came to Kurogane putting his hands to the man's face. "Better than I could have ever imagined."


	6. Chapter 6

Mage!" Kurogane's voice yelled as he ran through the street full of people, Fai's mop of blond hair barely visible as he pushed through. "Stop running! You're going to reopen that wound...AGAIN!" 

Fai's lighthearted giggle could be heard over the buzz of people and Kurogane gave a groan of pure and unadulterated annoyance. "Fai...I'm going to kill you...if you don't kill yourself first!" Kurogane was quite worried about Fai, in the last two chess matches Fai had overexerted himself and had reopened what remained of his wound, thus why Kurogane yelled at the mage.

As Kurogane continued forward again he was forced to a stop when he came face to face with the blond. "Kurogane, I don't think you realize how easily you really could kill me. All you would have to do is not feed me for about a week." The ninja stared at the magician the anger melting away as he waited for what he knew what would come next. Sure enough, Fai tilted his head and smiled brightly, "But you wouldn't do that." he reached out and wrapped his arms around Kurogane's neck, "You want to 'help' me too much." Fai poked Kurogane's nose once before letting go of the man and running off again. "And don't worry! I'm fine!"

"I'm starting to think 'I'm fine' are the only words you know..." Kurogane mumbled to himself as he followed Fai again.

Fai was smiling, laughing, running, and acting all around happy, this should mean one of two things: Either Fai was really asleep and this was Yuui, or that Kurogane had really helped Fai a lot in the past few days. Kurogane is quite displeased to inform you that you are all wrong if you picked either one of these options. He knew what Fai was doing, he'd been doing it for the last few days.

The ninja had come to call it 'personality hopping.' All this meant was that Fai set out a certain length of time and acted a certain way during this time. He could be happy, sad, angry, girlish, anything. Why did Fai do this? Kurogane had trouble coming up with the answer until it seemed to hit him on the nose. Fai was going through every emotion and personality he could possibly muster to try and get Kurogane to leave him alone. He had come out with an average of ten personalities a day that ranged from extremely happy to utterly depressed.

Even with all the variety Kurogane hated practically very personalities that Fai threw at him, there was only one Kurogane liked, and it was the personality he believed to be Fai's true personality...

Kurogane was brought out of his thoughts as he heard Fai's quick footsteps run up a set of stairs and a bell ring as Fai entered the tailors shoppe. Fai had received a message saying that his jacket had been fixed so of course Fai had immediately gone out the door to get it. As usual Kurogane had to be the voice of reason in Fai's actions and had walked out in the middle of the breakfast he'd been eating.

Kurogane walked up the stairs, and opened the door, causing the small bell to ring as he came inside. Fai was speaking with the shoppe owner. "Hyuu!Hyuu!, this is great. Thank you."

"Stop with the 'hyuu' already." It was just part of the act after all.

Fai looked back at Kurogane, giving him a pout, but obeying the command as he handed the owner the money owed and turned back to Kurogane holding the jacket up for him to see. "Isn't it nice Kurogane? You can't even tell it was damaged."

"But you can still tell you were damaged, come on Mage, home now." The black haired man jabbed his thumb back at the doorway as Fai pulled the jacket on over his other clothes.

"All right, all right. Kurogane is so mean." Kurogane could already see the transition of personalities taking place, Fai no longer could see a use for the happy one, so he'd now try some other one...

As Fai walked past Kurogane he gave an actual whistle instead of a 'hyuu' as he went to the door. "Come on Kurogane. Let's walk home." There was a short smile as he opened the door and bowed dramatically waiting for Kurogane to pass.

If Kurogane had to guess Fai would be pulling his 'girlish' side out of his proverbial hat next. Kurogane didn't really find Fai acting this way to be girlish...more like happy Fai on low dozes of sleeping medication.

Fai's arms wrapped around Kurogane's arm and hugged to it tightly as he rested his head against his shoulder. "I'm sorry..." The mage whispered softly.

Kurogane had been wrong, it wasn't the girlish personality. This was Kurogane's favorite personality by far, the ninja thought it to be Fai's true face, the way he actually felt underneath everything. It you had to put it into a category it would be called clingy. Very clingy.

"You don't have to be sorry, you have to learn."

"I don't understand Kurogane-san, you keep talking about helping me and learning, but I don't understand...no matter how much you try to tell me it never makes any more sense than it did before." Fai almost flinched when Kurogane put his free hand on top of his head and ruffled his hair, his usual sign of affection.

"Keep listening, it'll come." Fai's head relaxed against Kurogane's shoulder as they walked, one of his hands going down to Kurogane's and holding onto it tightly.

"I hope so...I want to be worth it."

"You're already worth it. You just have to stop hopping personalities."

Fai smiled, and even chuckled a bit as he nuzzled to Kurogane's shoulder, sighing softly. "Not going to happen." Fai's voice indicated a small amount of teasing, but truly, it was serious.

"Can you at least tell me how long you plan to keep it up? Really Mage, there are better things to focusing your energy on."

"Like what?" Fai's hands let go of Kurogane's arm for a split second as he opened the door to the house they currently lived in.

"The help I'm trying to give you, or just me in general."

"As wonderful as that sounds Kurogane, I'm already doing both of those things, even when I'm using other personalities."

Kurogane sighed, reaching out and closing the door as they were now inside. He turned to Fai, giving him a light glare before leaning forward and giving Fai a light kiss on the lips, "I wish you would stop fighting me."

Fai looked toward the ground, he held out his arms childishly, like a five year old did when they wanted their mother to carry them. When Kurogane came close enough the outstretched arms wrapped around Kurogane tightly, hugging him close. "I wish I would stop fighting too..." he whispered softly, burying his head in the nape of the man's neck.

* * *

"He's asleep, isn't he?"

"I wouldn't be here if he was awake now would I?" The childish voice of Fai's inner child rung throughout the room as Yuui sat up and stretched his arms. "I can tell, you're back to square one. What do you need exactly?"

"It's not square one." Kurogane shook his head slightly, "More like square one, version two."

"So...it's an upgrade from where you were?" Yuui tilted his head slightly a goofy grin on his face.

"In some ways...yes. That aside, I want to know why he hops from personality to personality. I have my guess, but I want to know for sure." The ninja folded his arms not moving from his spot against the door.

"To keep you away of course. To find the personality that will either make you pleased enough to leave him alone, or to annoy you enough to leave you alone. Fai-chan is really a complex person. He'll try everything before he backs down, don't worry though, your mage has not had the time to pick up his broken pieces and put himself back together, you still have a good chance to get at his gooey insides before you have to break him open again." Yuui played with one of the buttons on the shirt Fai was wearing as he said all this.

"Gooey?" Kurogane shook that word from his head, decided to leave that bit alone and ask his next question. "Which personality is his real one?"

"Which do you think it is?"

"The clingy one."

Yuui made a face, obviously not understanding the answer, "Fai-chan doesn't have a clingy personality."

"Yes he does. It's the one he was using before he fell asleep, he's used that one a lot the last couple of days."

Yuui shook his head, "That's not clingy, it's scared. That's what Fai-chan is when he's scared of something. I guess you can call it clingy...'cause it causes him to cling to the first thing he feels comfortable touching...but it's not's totally clingy." There was a short pause as Yuui looked up from the button to Kurogane's face, the smile inevitably coming back to his face. "But that's not his real personality. It's just the one he thinks you like the best, and the one that work the best for what he wants."

"Then what is his real face?"

Yuui put a finger to his lips in thought, moving his head from side to side as he seemed to be thinking. "I can't answer that properly..."

"Then do the best you can."

"Well..." the blond bit his lip, "I guess if I had to put it into words I'd have two options...one is that none of them are real, which isn't really true...the other would have to be that they are all his true face, which isn't really true either..." Yuui sighed actually looking strained, "I guess it's more that they're all sides of who he is, or some of them are things Fai-chan wants to be."

Kurogane nodded, both getting it and not getting it, it was confusing, and sometimes he found Yuui's information to be more and more confusing the longer the boy rambled on about a single topic. Thus Kurogane decided to leave that question be for now, before he got any more confused. "And he's doing this why?"

Yuui smiled, "He's trying to please you. This isn't the first time he's done it...it's like a milestone in Fai's life...he finds someone he cares about, and once they figure out who he really is he tries on a whole bunch of masks or he waits until he finds out what that person likes from him and then he does that until the next time it happens. That was one of the reasons he was happy before, the last person he tried to pleased liked his smile." Yuui put his fingers to his cheeks and smiled making him look ridiculous.

"You sure about that?"

Yuui smiled and nodded, "Yup! One-hundred percent sure!"

"How do I get him to stop? It's messing with my helping him."

Fai's inner child laughed, "I thought that would've been obvious. State out what you like and dislike. He'll put it all together in some jumbled kind of personality and then he'll stop."

"You sure?" Yuui nodded vigorously, his head looking like it was hitting against something. Kurogane couldn't help but wonder if that would cause Fai brain damage later on... "All right then, thanks."

"Oh, one more thing, be careful next chess match." The swordsman took this to mean that Fai would either reopen his wound again, or get a brand new one, he nodded, but raised an eyebrow.

"You're making predictions now?"

Yuui smiled, "Only when it will affect the wish and Fai-chan." The ninja sighed, nodding again, whatever it took to get the help he needed...

Yuui then beckoned Kurogane over to the bed and as usual the boy slung his arms over Kurogane's shoulders and then fell asleep again, leaving Kurogane to wait until the mage woke up. Kurogane hoped Fai didn't get hurt again. He didn't know what would happen if he let Fai be hurt again...

* * *

A//N: You know the drill...Read and Review...please review. I like reading what you people think. As usual, feel free to point out grammatical errors. I did read it out-loud, like Nema ((you know who you are...)) suggested, but that does NOT mean I got everything. 


	7. Chapter 7

A//N: Nothing here you don't already know, R&R and so on.

* * *

Buzzt! "Begin!" The game started. Immediately Fai dashed to one side avoiding being hit before he swung his weapon around just barely missing his target.

"Weak." The mage heard Kurogane's gruff voice speak out.

"Heh, me or the enemy?"

"I meant the enemy."

Fai shook his head slightly taking on a defensive stance and then elbowing his adversary away from him, "You think everyone is weak Kurogane."

Clang! Clang! From both behind him and a ways away from him he heard swords movements. Both Syaoran and Kurogane had attacked. "Not everyone."

"Most everyone." Fai jumped in the air, once again swinging down his weapon...this team was weak, Fai had to admit, Kurogane was correct. This battle wouldn't last too long.

"Mage!" Kurogane yelled once Fai landed on the ground a good ten feet from where he began, "How many times?! Don't leave my side!"

Fai's only response to this was a chuckle as he began to dance with his enemy, fighting, handing blows back and forth until Fai hit him just right and the other fell to the ground in a heap. That wasn't so hard, he gets hit once a couple weeks ago and Kurogane never lets him do anything by himself again, that sounded about right.

The blond had been about to say some snide remark to Kurogane, something along the lines of not being an untrained child...but the words never got out, Fai completely forgot what he had been about to say as he quickly turned his head to look at Kurogane. Something wasn't right.

He studied the scene quickly, but carefully. It looked right...Kurogane standing there, sword over shoulder, his opponent on the ground looking at Syaoran, waiting for him to finish off his own enemy...the silly smirk on his face that said he'd won. Everything looked okay, everything sounded okay, but it wasn't. Fai knew something had happened while he hadn't been looking. Something in his vampire senses told him so.

But what?

Fai continued to think, what was it? He breathed deeply, he smelled blood. That was normal, and yet it wasn't. What wasn't normal? After a minute it sunk in. Blood, Kurogane's blood. Fai could smell it mingled with the others blood. He didn't look hurt...

Fai's eyes finally drifted to Kurogane's arm as a single drop of blood fell from the ninja's index finger onto the floor.

Fai wanted to vomit.

* * *

"Kurogane!" Fai yelled as he banged on the door to the man's room, "Let me in!" 

"Oi, oi. Hold on." After a moment the door opened. "What do you want?"

Fai pushed his way into the room, not answering the swordsman's question as he slammed the door. "You..." he began. "Didn't even say a word..."

"About what?" Kurogane folded his arms and tilted his head to one side, giving Fai a look as if he had never seen anything quite like him.

"Don't give me that." Fai's hand reached out grabbing Kurogane's arm and yanking on it. "You're hurt!" Kurogane winced at the harshness Fai used.

"If you know that then don't be so rough."

"I'll be rough if I want to." Fai pulled at the arm more. "Show me."

"All right, all right, don't get so angry."

"I wouldn't be angry if you had bothered to show or tell us that you were hurt!"

"You knew anyway didn't you?"

"Only because I drink your blood to survive!" Fai's voice still yelled, but it was quieting, becoming less angry and more desperate as he spoke.

"Don't worry, it's not deep." Kurogane rolled his eyes as he pulled back his sleeve showing a bandaged arm that was stained with some blood. "It's stopped bleeding now."

"That's not the point!" Fai looked just about ready to slap Kurogane. "You promised to not get hurt!"

"I promised to not get hurt because of you." Fai shook his head.

"It's always my fault!" He clung to Kurogane's shirt. "I left your side, when you told me not to, you got hurt because I distracted you and you were trying to protect me..." Slowly Fai began to sink to his knees his hands still grasping to Kurogane's shirt. "I'm sorry..." All the anger was gone from Fai's voice as if he had changed personalities, but Kurogane didn't think that was it. He was pretty sure Fai was acting like this because this was what Fai really felt.

"Is that really how you feel?"

"Yes..."

"Then how are you going to make it up to me?"

Fai shook his head reaching out to Kurogane's wrist and holding it gently, "That would be impossible...there's nothing I could possibly--"

"Wrong. Cry."

Fai looked up at Kurogane's face as if he'd just said something insane. "I'm serious. If you're really sorry and if you're really this, if you're really sad and upset about me getting a cut because you think it's your fault, cry. Cry for me. Don't bottle it inside, don't act happy, don't act angry, don't act like you don't care, if you're upset, cry. Act how you feel."

"Is that what Kurogane really wants from me? Is that what Kurogane likes from me?"

"Yes. That is what I want."

Slowly Fai pulled himself to his feet placing his hands on either side of Kurogane's face, "I'm so sorry..." he whispered before collapsing against the ninja soft sobs were heard coming from the mage. They weren't loud or exaggerated like when Fai fake cried to get attention, these could hardly be heard.

Sluggishly Kurogane pulled Fai closer to him and sat down on his bed lightly rubbing the other's back for comfort. After a while the sobbing completely faded away and Fai's body was still. "How do you feel?" He lifted Fai's face up. The blond's eye still showed signs of crying, a couple tears lingering on his cheeks.

"I don't matter. Are you really all right?" Fai reached up to touch Kurogane's face, but his hand was grabbed by Kurogane's. He held the hand gently and smiled at Fai.

"I'm fine. Like I said it wasn't deep, it just bled for a while, and it really wasn't your fault. It was my carelessness, as he fell his blade happened to catch my arm. Barely a knick really, it just looked bad."

"It was still my fault." Fai said looking away.

"So stubborn." Kurogane chuckled resting Fai's head against his shoulder. "But I'm glad, I was unaware you could really, truly cry."

"I was too." Fai's hands gripped to Kurogane's shoulders and slowly pushed himself away. He looked at the ninja and gave a small smile, "I'm glad you're really going to be all right...I'll go to bed now...don't sleep on your left side..."

Fai tried to pull away from him but Kurogane held onto him tightly. "Stay." Fai blinked in confusion before he continued, "Sleep with me tonight. It'll help make you feel better won't it?"

Fai's smile brightened for a moment, but then it faded and Fai looked down-wards, "Kurogane...you need to stop playing this game..."

"Game?"

"Everything to you is a game lately. A game that breaks me, I dislike it. You're trying to find out more about who I am...in the game it's as if you hold a mirror up to my face and make me see all my reflections, make me feel everything at once, you follow me, you even say pretty words..." Fai tilted his head, "Didn't you say you hate pretty words?"

"Yes, I do hate them. To me, if you're going to say something you should just say it outright, but you love them."

Fai shook his head so slightly from side to side, almost as if he were hypnotized by a small pocket watch, "To me they aren't pretty. They are just pretty coming from you, because I remember that you don't like pretty words."

"I'm just trying to help you. It's not a game."

"It's a game. You push at me, offer your hand to me, give me everything I could possibly need, or everything you think I could need."

"Did you not just do the same thing? You came here to try and get me to ask for help."

"Yes, but I failed, I came here to try and help you and all that happened was you turned the situation around so that I was more important. I can't play. So...no. I won't sleep here. I won't sleep with you. It'll help your cause. I won't sleep near you, not until you either stop playing, or until I can play too."

"There's no need for you to play."

"So you say, I say there's no reason for you to play either. We are practically the same Kurogane. We are the same in so many ways...do you know why we are so close to the same?"

"Why?"

"Because we are so different. We are the same because we are so very different. Light and dark come together and they blend into gray, they become one...You are my light Kurogane. I don't care if that is a pretty word. It's true. You are light, I am so dark...if we become any closer we will blend completely. I don't want that to happen. Please Kurogane...stop this game."

Fai stopped and seemed to search for a word. He was silent for a minute and bit his lip, then he stuttered over the words until he finally got them out. "You were right...Kurogane, I do love you. I love you. More than anything in this world. If you love me too you will leave me and never touch me again, don't allow me to touch you, forget about healing me, forget about helping me..." Fai brought Kurogane's hand to his face, leaning into the warmth it gave off. "Everything I love turns to dust before my eyes after I touch it. Don't let it happen to you."

"It's not going to happen, even if I have to turn to dust and then turn back for you to see how important you are I will do it."

Fai chuckled as he let go of the others hand, standing to his feet. "Such pretty words." He walked away, going to the door. "Good night Kurogane. Heal. Or I'll never forgive you."

Kurogane smirked at this, "And you say you can't 'play the game.' You play just fine."

Fai shook his head no, "Expect me to be very happy in the morning. After all, it's the only thing I can do." With that Fai shut the door as he left Kurogane alone within his room.

* * *

"Maybe I should leave you alone...you seem to be either very tired or very frustrated..." 

"A bit of both. 'Fai-chan' isn't exactly energizing, and he isn't exactly encouraging."

Yuui giggled. "Of course not...if he was I wouldn't be here now would I? Although I admit you seem to be at square negative two...at least to an outsider...I actually think you're doing very well. He cried, Fai-chan hasn't cried for real in a long time...Not since he was a child..." Yuui's face became serious for a second before he grinned widely again. "So really I think you're at square five!" He gave Kurogane a thumbs up.

"Then why did he tell me to stay away from him?"

"He sees the change in his own actions and seeks to reverse it, meaning he thinks that if he gets away from you he'll be okay and be able to fix himself..."

"Is he right?"

"Who knows? But you can't let him get away now can you?"

Kurogane shook his head no, "That you are right about Yuui. I can't let him get away, he needs the help."

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Do the opposite of what he told me to do..."

Yuui put a finger to his lips in thought, "So...basically you're never going to give him a moment of privacy?"

"That's right."

"That'll just make Fai-chan angry with you." Yuui laughed. "He's already angry enough that you got hurt and didn't ask for help..."

"That's nice. If he gets angry at that he should get angry at himself, now he knows how I felt when he got hurt, in fact he knows exactly how I feel constantly!"

Yuui shook his head, coming forward and poking at Kurogane's cheek. "Kuro-san. I don't think you should be telling me that, you should tell Fai-chan that." He stopped poking Kurogane and began to poke his own cheek looking up at the ceiling. "That'll probably make him sad, to know that he causes you such internal pain."

"My goal is not to make him sad. My goal is to make him see that other people care about him and that he's important..."

"I know, however that's not how Fai-chan sees it. Fai-chan thinks you're invading him, digging your way deeper and deeper into his heart, he's already getting to the point where he doesn't ever really want to be in a room that doesn't have you in it...but he's afraid Kuro-san, he truly is. Everything he said to you was true in his eyes, he thinks that if he allows you close you'll crumble right before his eyes, or that you'll somehow harm him. You and Sakura are the only light Fai-chan has left, if he lost that small amount of light...Fai-chan will become nothing."

Yuui sat down on the bed next to Kurogane, "You really don't grasp how important you are to him."

"He doesn't grasp how important he is to me either."

"No. He does. He just wants that importance to stop. He wants you to step away from him before harm befalls you. That's why he got so worried and upset today, you were harmed." Yuui's hands reached out and ruffled Kurogane's hair.

"What was that for?"

"Fai-chan's always wanted to do that to you...to feel the texture of your hair...it kinda made me curious too. It feels so course..." Yuui seemed to frown, feeling his own hair, "Fai's hair is so fine and thin."

Kurogane rolled his eyes, reaching out his hand and messing with Yuui's in the same way Yuui had messed with his. "Yeah...it is."

Yuui smiled not bothering to fix the mess his hair was in and hugged the ninja tightly before standing up. "Anyway, good night Kuro-san. Sleep deeply, you'll need it to deal with Fai-chan's hyper personality in the morning! After all, you need to keep up with him to stay in the game."

"Not you too...it's not a game! It's real life."

Yuui shook his head as he went on toward the door, "Real life is a game Kuro-san...everything is a game...and in that game...we are all pawns. Every single one of us."


	8. Chapter 8

"Ouch!" Fai cried out from his chair as he put his hands to his mouth looking away from the man who's gaze instantly turned to look at him.

The ninja raised an eyebrow and pulled lightly at Fai's arm, trying to coax Fai into uncovering his mouth. "What happened?"

"Oi it moi mowf" Fai said through his hands.

"What?" Kurogane pulled harder at the arm, "I can't understand you."

From behind the fingers Fai gave out a sighing sound and moved his hands away. "I bit my mouth."

"How did you do that? You're not even eating anything." The children had eaten earlier, and Kurogane was eating things Fai would never touch, such as raw fish, but Fai didn't eat anything anymore...he didn't have to. He only drank from Kurogane.

"I don't know all I know is that now I have a small hole on the inside of my mouth, I'm going to go rinse my mouth out, my blood doesn't taste good..."

"You're bleeding? You must've bitten yourself pretty hard."

Fai glared back at the man as he stood up, "It's not like I was expecting it..."

Kurogane sighed and reached out, grabbing onto Fai's arm and pulling him back into his chair. His hand went to Fai's chin, "Let me see."

"What?" Fai gave out a short laugh, "No! Why would I let you look in my mouth? It's just a little blood..."

"Not what I'm curious about...open."

Fai gave Kurogane a 'You can't be serious' look and Kurogane gave Fai an 'I am very serious' look. In the end Kurogane won the staring contest and Fai reluctantly opened his mouth. Feeling pretty satisfied with getting Fai to do something he wanted Kurogane went to open it a little bit wider so that he could see the area Fai had evidently bitten...but Fai shut his mouth again.

"You are not sticking your fingers in my mouth, it's unsanitary..."

"Mage...breathing is unsanitary. I have to, or I can't see anything. The sooner you let me do this, the sooner I let you go and get the taste of blood out of your mouth."

Fai grumbled a bit but opened his mouth again, leaning slightly away from the black haired man as he felt the fingers go past his lips and pull and poke slightly. "What did you do? That's a deep bite." the ninja seemed almost shocked that anyone could bite themselves quite that hard.

"I it aiself?"

"You know what I meant Fai..." There was a short pause as Kurogane's face looked confused and he ran his fingers over the top row of Fai's teeth very lightly. "Open wider, so I can see the top."

Reluctantly Fai opened his mouth as wide as he could and Kurogane repeated the action of rubbing his thumb over the top row as he stared, "Fangs..."

"Ut?"

"Fangs. The entire top set of teeth seemed to have changed." He released Fai's allowing the mage to close his mouth and seem to adjust to the feeling of it being closed again before he spoke.

"I've never had fangs before."

"It fits and while you can't see it when your mouth is closed or when you're speaking if you look at it for a moment it becomes obvious. I'm surprised you didn't feel it happening." Perhaps the change had been too gradual for the mage to notice?

Fai frowned deeply and ran his own fingers over the teeth in question. They did feel different... "I never felt anything changing..." The taste of blood in his mouth now completely forgotten, Fai walked off in the direction of his room, Kurogane following close behind him.

Fai did indeed go into his room and pulled the mirror down off the wall and looked into it holding it at different lengths away from his body, examining the teeth. "How did I not notice? It's so obvious if I grin..."

"But you don't grin much anymore." Really Fai didn't grin at all, Yuui did, but a grin was a grin.

"True. I suppose it's not that big of a deal, my teeth changing shape is really the least of my worries..." The blond placed the mirror back on the wall. "It's not like I really need them I guess is the problem...you regulate when I'm 'fed.' As much as I may dislike it.."

"You dislike my regulating it? Or me being your food source?"

"You being my food source." Fai answered the question quickly, there was no hesitation to even think of the answer.

"Not much you can do about that, if it were the first one I would've said I'd let you drink from my neck anytime you wanted now that you've got those things."

Fai didn't seem to understand the comment for a couple seconds before his eye widened and he shook his head, taking a step back his arms lightly hugging himself. "No...No...I couldn't do that to you Kurogane. The very idea is totally ridiculous."

"Not really."

"Explain."

Kurogane sighed, "Consider this; We somehow got stranded in a place where neither of us had a blade, it's better for you to have sharp teeth to pierce with than for one of us having to bite down with dull teeth."

Fai looked away, "I suppose." He mumbled.

"Next time you need to drink I want you to try that."

"Bah, another one of your 'help' lessons..."

Kurogane nodded, he wouldn't deny that it was just another way to help Fai. "In a different way than usual though...this is to possibly help keep you alive later on. Practice for if something like that ever happened."

Fai rubbed his arm and sighed, falling back on his personalities. He smiled brightly and held out his arms to Kurogane, "You're ridiculous Kurogane, but then again we both are, now aren't we?"

"Yes, we are." He took Fai's wrists and pulled the mage into a hug. "In more ways than one." Fai nodded into the ninja's chest a nice calm smile on his face.

"How's your arm? Hm?" Fai's happy personality pulled away from the embrace he had asked for and traced Kurogane's lips with his fingers.

Kurogane frowned, "Almost healed. Your side?"

"Healed." Fai took his fingers away and tilted his head. "This displeases you doesn't it? I can see it on your face, you're hate."

"Yes. You're not happy. You're rather pissed off at me for suggesting your drinking methods."

"Yes, you're good at this game Kurogane." He walked away from the ninja, "But I will never act angry with you again. It doesn't work. I can't stay angry at you anyway, my love. Even though you don't love me back."

"Who says I don't?"

"Your actions. Your replies to my wishes." Fai's smile faded, "There is no room for love for me..."

"You're wrong."

Fai shook his head and waved his hand as if brushing the topic away from him the smile coming back almost instantly, "Anyway, just because it's you I will do as you say. Next time I drink, I'll take from your neck, but only that once. Understand?" The blond waited for the black haired man to nod and he then smile even more widely. "Good. I ask that you leave me alone for a while. Please?"

"Because you were...not as difficult as you usually are, I'll give you time to yourself."

"Thank you Kurogane."

Kurogane turned around and went to the door, he paused at it, turning around, he toyed with the thought in his mind before deciding to go through with it. "Mage?"

"Hm?"

"I'm going to say something that sounds very random, but I've been meaning to say it for a while now."

"Go ahead."

Kurogane looked directly at Fai's face for a moment so he could see the reaction. "Whatever it is...it's not your fault." He got a good reaction that told him Fai was still broken. Fai's eye almost lost it's pupil for a moment and he seemed to gasp for air on his next intake of air. This satisfied him and he opened the door and left the room, getting the feeling Fai would cry, and knowing Fai didn't want Kurogane to see him cry again.

* * *

"It's time to turn the mirror off." A soft voice spoke out, bringing Kurogane out from the world of his dreams and nightmares. The voice was all too familiar and was not to be ignored, so Kurogane opened his eyes. 

"Mmk..." Kurogane yawned and turned over trying to wake up so that he could deal with the child that was Yuui. "What?"

"It's time to turn the mirror off."

Kurogane slowly sat up and rubbed his head, "But I haven't gotten my wish yet..."

"It doesn't matter. It's to the point where you'll get it if you try on your own just a little bit more. Time runs short Kuro-san. Fai-chan slowly is fixing himself, but you still manage to keep him open. For now. Soon someone other than you will shatter him, soon he will be outside of your touch, soon you will leave this world. I can no longer help you. You have everything you need to heal Fai-chan." Yuui tilted his head, the inner child of Fai no longer looked at all like a child. He looked older than even Fai did these days. The voice was just as quiet, but mature, as if in just a single moment he had grown a thousand years.

At first the eyes were blank, the tone of voice almost emotionless, but then it wavered. Slightly and slowly the face shifted, the eyes became sad and the child bit his lip. At last he looked to the ground.

"Kuro-san!" Yuui gasped reaching out and gripping to Kurogane's collar, "Please! Help Fai-chan! Please! Don't let him suffer anymore! You're right! It's not his fault!" Tears ran down Yuui's face, he shook Kurogane, "I may just be a figment in Fai-chan's mind, but his pain! It's too much for him to bare much longer!" The boy sobbed, "Don't let him go! Don't hurt him! Play the game Kuro-san! Play it well! Make him see he's worth it! Love him! Please...love him! Hold him, kiss him, speak pretty words to him, just don't hurt him!" Yuui buried his face into the man's chest, his sobs were louder than Fai's real ones, but quieter than Fai's fake ones. They came steadily from the boy that lived within Fai.

"I'm not planning on harming him..." Kurogane was actually very surprised by the outburst, Yuui had seemed more genuine in his happiness than Fai...maybe it had just been that Yuui had been better at pretending, but why? "Yuui?"

The blond looked to Kurogane and bit his lip reaching up and brushing the tears away from his face. "Yes?"

The ninja paused, thinking of the right way to go about this, after a minute he thought of it. The only way someone could possibly know or care, Yuui was right, he was just a being created to help Kurogane help Fai, but if that was truly the case, why would he cry for Fai? For that matter why would he have a name? Or a purpose? "Who is Yuui? Why that name? In fact why do you have a name? Like you're a real person? Are you someone Fai once knew and loved? Someone he hated? There has to be a reason for that name..." There had to be a reason.

Yuui slowly shook his head, "I can't exactly tell you, but it's not what you think. Yuui is only a person inside Fai-chan. Yuui sees all Fai-chan sees, feels all Fai-chan feels, knows all Fai-chan knows and even sometimes knows things Fai-chan locks away. Yuui is just Fai-chan's inner child. That's all I am. That is all Yuui is." Yuui let go of Kurogane and stood to his feet his hands closing in loose fists and resting at Fai's chest, as if he held a precious object that needed to be protected in his hands.

Kurogane gave a quick nod, "I see...So...I have to turn the mirror off and return it tomorrow..."

Yuui slowly nodded, the single eye closed. "Yes."

"All right. I hope I can grant your wish Yuui. It's my wish as well. It wasn't in the beginning...I just wanted the mage to be real...but now it's more, I can't precisely explain it, but it's not the same now. I don't just want to make him realize he's not alone, I want to be the one to take his pain away, I want to be the one there for him."

"You already are." A kind smile same to Yuui's sad face, "Just a little further Kuro-san. Push a bit further. I'm sure you'll get it."

"Right," Kurogane waved the matter off, "Go back to bed Yuui, 'person who knows all the Mage knows.' I'll return you tomorrow."

"All right." Yuui hesitated for a moment before hugging Kurogane tightly and then leaving the room, "You sleep well." Kurogane barely heard this as the door clicked shut.

* * *

"Where are we going?" 

"To the antique shoppe."

"Why?" Fai closed the front door of their current home and ran down the steps after Kurogane, "We have no reason. We don't need anything and I didn't buy anything the only time either of us were there..."

"I did." Kurogane held up the mirror.

Fai gave the object a curious look, "I think I remember seeing that in your room once...why are you returning it?"

"I don't need it anymore."

"You needed a mirror?" The pair glanced at each other, the exact same look on both of their faces.

"Don't argue." Kurogane sighed and flipped the mirror over, turning off the switch on the back, the mirror's front seemed to flash and then Fai fell to the ground face first. "Mage?"

Fai made a muffled sound from where he lay and waved his hand a bit to say that he was okay before pushing himself to his feet, "That was really weird..." He rubbed his nose, which was now a bit red from falling on it.

"What happened?"

Fai shook his head slightly, knitting his eyebrows. "I don't really know, I just fell, my legs gave out as if my brain stopped working for about three seconds."

Kurogane looked at the mirror and somehow knew that his turning it off had caused that little incident. "Don't worry about it...I don't think it'll happen again." The ninja sighed and tucked the mirror under his arm and used the other hand to brush dirt and gravel off Fai's sleeve. "Moving on, there's something else I want to tell you."

"Yes Kurogane?"

"I'm not going to be 'playing the game' for the rest of the time we're in this world."

Fai looked at him a bit shocked, "Really?"

He nodded, "Yes, there's no point right now. Our stress is getting higher and higher as we get to the end of this chess tournament. I do however want you to still lean on me. Anytime you need it. Also, once we get to the next world I will start 'the game' at anytime I please. One more thing, don't do anything idiotic like you normally do, I'll hit you if you do."

Fai opened his mouth to either agree or to complain, but either way he stopped as a drop of water landed on his forehead. The pair looked to the sky as many droplets of rain began to fall. "I guess we better hurry." Fai said laughing a bit as he still stared at the sky.

The two began to run down the street toward the end of the arc of the relationship that involved the mirror. Even though Kurogane had currently cut off the game they had been playing, it had only just begun.

* * *

A//N: No. The story isn't over yet...we have four or five chapters left to go. Which is a good thing for people who enjoy the story...

Warning though, the next couple of chapters will be in first person POV, but I have a reason, you'll find out why next chapter.

Anyway, review for your authoress please, and I'll see you next time.


	9. Chapter 9

A//N: I lied, I'm sorry I lied, but I lied...this chapter isn't from anyone's first person POV, it's normal...the next ones will though. And I'm sure some people will hate me for them...oh well, they're necessary. Okay, enjoy this chapter!

* * *

"You're hungry...no I take that back, you're starving." 

"No I'm not."

There was a pause in which Kurogane crossed his arms and sighed, "Mage, you're eating real food."

Fai looked down at the cookie in his hand that had a couple bite marks where you could clearly see the fangs he now processed, he stared at it for a moment as if he had never seen it before and then looked up at Kurogane. "You consider this to be real food and not junk foo--"

"Mage!" The ninja whaped Fai's head and took the cookie away from him. "The last time you touched real food was when you forgot that you didn't need it anymore and that was months ago!"

"Um...I got a taste?" Kurogane shook his head saying that would not work. "Fine... I really am hungry. 'Real' food delays it a little bit." Fai folded his arms across his chest and looked away from his prey.

"Come on then, you can't avoid it forever." Kurogane grabbed Fai's wrist and dragged the vampire along, "You've got the fangs, you have to use them sooner or later." The ninja half expected Fai to complain that he was 'playing the game,' but wasn't, he was just trying to ensure that Fai would live.

He opened the door to his bedroom and pulled Fai in with him. "Isn't it supposed to be the vampire that hunts the prey, not the prey that forces himself onto the vampire?"

Kurogane rolled his eyes, "Shut up." Kurogane closed the door and sat on his bed, pulling Fai roughly into his lap, his hand holding Fai's head to his neck. "Drink."

"Can't we do this the normal way?"

"This is the normal way."

"Normal for us." Fai's voice was begging, but Kurogane did not give in.

"Fai, you have to learn." A sigh came from Fai's lips as he placed one of his hands on both of Kurogane's shoulders and pushed back against the hand that held his head so close, after a moment the ninja removed the hand trusting Fai to not run away. He didn't, he just stayed there. Minutes passed and every few seconds Kurogane could feel Fai's cool breath hit his neck, but no bite came. After about five minutes he realized that Fai's entire body was shaking uncontrollably. "You're afraid."

"Of course I'm afraid." The mage seemed to give up and rested his forehead against his prey's shoulder.

"Why are you afraid? According to lore it's vamprism's purest state."

Fai shook his head, his hands gripping to Kurogane's shoulders tighter. "Can't you see it? Me biting in the wrong place and you just bleeding out in front of me? Or I hit the right nerve and you become paralyzed as a result? Or I bite too hard and I go right into your windpipe? Any number of things could happen." There was a moment of silence before Kurogane's laugh could be heard throughout the room. "Why are you laughing at me?!"

"Because you are so insane. Mage, you obviously don't want to harm me, therefore you won't."

"Kurogane, you have way too much confidence in me..."

"That's what you think, I think you don't have enough in yourself. Come now, be reasonable, you're starving, I'm here, drink."

Kurogane could hear Fai take deep breaths as he tried to stabilize himself enough to get it over with. He felt one of Fai's hands move from his shoulder to the side of his head, pushing it to one side and then he finally felt fangs bite into his neck. It didn't hurt. In fact Kurogane had to stop himself from moaning out in a sensation quite similar to pleasure, only better. It was if the fangs Fai now had gave off a poison that made the bite seem to be the most wonderful thing in the world rather than something that would probably ache later. He felt Fai pulling blood from his body, but it didn't even seem to matter.

Everything felt okay, it was like he was floating. On cloud nine, whatever you wanted to call it. It made everything seem okay, like nothing in the world was wrong, like nothing would ever be wrong. Ever again...

Fai pulled away. It took almost everything he had to not pull the blond back to his neck so that he would take more blood from him. He wanted Fai to drink him dry... "Kurogane." As if the glass that was the illusion had shattered, everything was slowly going back to normal. "Kurogane, are you okay?"

Slowly Kurogane put his hand to Fai's cheek, his thumb hesitantly caressing it. Even though he knew it wasn't true, as the illusion faded it felt like Fai had somehow broken his heart by not drinking all the blood he had to offer. "I'm fine."

"Does it hurt?"

"No...not at all." As if on cue, the two small holes in the side of his neck began to ache.

"Ohhh." Fai's voice moaned in displeasure and his face became unhappy as he leaned forward to where he'd been moments before and the ninja felt Fai's tongue against it, "It's still bleeding, it usually stops before now." Fai's hand gripped to Kurogane's and moved his hand so that his palm covered the spot. "Keep your hand there until I come back. You can't afford to lose any more blood."

Before Kurogane could reply Fai felt the room and was quickly back in the room again, "Move." The man obeyed, moving his hand back to his side as Fai quickly put a bandage over the spot, making sure it was secure before pulling back again, smiling smally. "There."

"Are you going to kiss it and make it better now?"

Fai scowled at how Kurogane reacted to his showing the man how much he really did care, "If you want."

"I don't. How did it taste?"

Fai looked away and rubbed one of his arms, "It doesn't matter. It fed me."

"It does matter."

"Why?" Fai's harsh voice would turn most people away, he obviously disliked the topic.

"Because to me, it felt different."

Fai's hand fell to his side as his eye got wide for a moment before looking apologetic. "Oh...um, tell me how it felt, and I'll tell you how it tasted."

The man shrugged, "Fair enough. It felt ethereal. It felt like you were a god who was giving me a treat. It felt like you were the only thing that mattered. I couldn't move, not that I wanted to."

Fai looked worried by knowing this fact. "It was...similar for me in taste. Before when I drank from your wrist it was good, the fact I loved you made it taste bitter because I was hurting you, but my instincts made it taste good enough that I would keep going. This time it was so good I literally had to pull myself away before I drank too much and you..." His voice drifted as he knew Kurogane knew the next and last word.

"A spell?"

"A poison?"

They both shook their heads slightly, "It doesn't matter. It happened."

"I don't like it."

"You wouldn't, but it is a good thing to have, even more so when your prey isn't the willing kind." Not that it would ever happen for Fai, he would always be willing to give Fai his blood.

Fai nodded rubbing his arm again. "I can't argue, but even so I only want to use it if we absolutely have to."

"Fine. After all it's your meal."

"Yes it is." Fai's arms fell limply to his side and stared at Kurogane for a minute as if Kurogane would say something else to him. When this didn't happen after a few long moments Fai turned and walked to the door. "The final chess match is in three days. I'll drink again before then." When no response to this came the blond went on through the door and closed it behind him.

* * *

"I'm going out." Fai pulled his jacket over his long arms gracefully as Kurogane shook his head, as if Kurogane were a parent rearing an unruly child. 

"It's late."

"We need a few things for breakfast tomorrow. I can see fine in the dark."

Fai looked to Kurogane waiting for the reply to come, at last it did. "Fine, but I want you back in an hour."

Like the unruly child he appeared to be, Fai shook his head, "I'll come back when I please." The young vampire turned on his heel, causing his pitch black jacket to swish slightly as he walked out the door. Kurogane had better not come after him if he hadn't come back within that hour. Fai would be livid, he was an adult, he could take care of himself...

Click, clack. Click, clack. Fai's boots were easily heard as he walked down the street. His shoes and the occasionally chattering of a passing couple was all that could be heard after Infinity's sun set and the street lights came on. Only the brave, foolish, and night shift workers came out here at night. After all anything could happen to them.

Fai placed himself between the brave and foolish people. He was brave because he dared to come out here at night. He was foolish because he dared to come out here at night alone.

Click, clack. The sound continued. On this stretch of street there seemed to be no one other than him. No talking, no walking sounds. Even so Fai was sure that someone was following him. Was he paranoid? Was it paranoia if you were right?

Suddenly, Fai swung his arm out. Another arm hit against it. He was right, someone had been following, and now they were attacking him. The blond spun around to see bright gold eyes. These eyes searched over his face before Fai felt his arm aim another attack. Fai dodged. He found it very easy to do, this man appeared to be very slow.

Something glinted on his right side and Fai had to raise his arm to block an attack from another person, a woman this time. "He has good reflexes."

"At least for a half blind man he does." The man chuckled and his hand came forward to attack while both of Fai's hands were occupied with blocking both the other hand, and one of the woman's hands. Before the attack reached him the blonds foot kicked the man away and a similar maneuver moved the woman away from him before he stood straight and then took on a defensive stance in case they tried to attack again.

"Defensive fighter."

"Unusual for a youngling. He must've been a fighter before."

"He's impressive. Well worth it." The man and woman laughed. Fai stared at them.

The woman had brown hair. She wore a suit, like a business woman would. Very formal and strict despite her laugh and lax tone while talking to the man. The man had black hair. He looked as relaxed as the tone he spoke with was. They both had golden eyes and as they laughed Fai could clearly see fangs just like his own.

"Vampires?" The mage breathed out the word as if they were something he'd never dreamed of existing, let alone that he was one of them.

"Correct youngling." The man continued to laugh as he came forward, one second only seeming to be stepping forward and then the next second he was right in front of Fai. His hands shoved him roughly into a building wall proving that Fai had been wrong about him being slow. "We are just like you."

Fai groaned a bit sliding to the ground and then pushing himself up again. As he turned his head he felt long nailed fingers grab his chin and hold his head very still. The woman's golden eyes stared at his single blue one. "Such a pretty blue color. Almost like crystal. Can you make it gold for me? Most of us change it to fight..."

He had never learned how to do it on command... "No. I can't." Fai's voice was strained as if she held his throat as opposed to his chin.

Her hand left his chin and went to his hand. Lifting it up and she examined his nails. "He's really perfect..." This comment was obviously directed at the man as she ran her thumb over Fai's nails. "Can you make these into lethal weapons?"

"I'm not old enough."

The pair of them laughed again. "You are old enough to be sensed by other vampires as a fellow vampire. You are old enough have to fangs to drink with. You are old enough to do anything other vampires can." The woman's hand ran down the left side of the Mage's face, not at all careful of where his eye had once been. Fai tried to move his head away but found that he could not move an inch, no, not even a millimeter. He was stuck.

The realization must've shown on his face for the woman smirked and leaned forward, her fingers brushing his long, messy hair away from his ear as she spoke into it. "Come with us youngling. Learn from us. As perfect as you may be, a youngling who knows nothing is a danger to himself and to other vampires."

Fai's entire body gave an involuntary shiver as she pulled back. He knew he had no choice.

* * *

_"Good luck to you Youngling Fai. Say hello to your prey. Be careful. Remember what we taught you. You are on your own now..."_

Fai would not forget. The memory would be etched in his memory forever, just as the memory of his turning was forever fresh in his mind, just like Fai's death was... He would forever be able to close his eyes and bring these memories to him in an instant. He would never forget how to be a vampire...

It felt like the title of mage had been stripped away and now he was just a vampire... The 'youngling' looked into the shiny glass of a shoppe window and looked at his reflection. Blue eye...all last night it had been gold...so he was still a mage, he had begun to wonder.

His long fingers reached up to his face and traced along a couple of the various scratches his face now possessed. Punishments from when he had gotten something wrong. The woman had considered his face his best asset so it was what she tried to take away when he did something incorrectly during their 'lessons.'

The morning sun shone through the clouds at last as Fai turned away from the window and kept on walking. He had been gone for far more than hour. Kurogane would not be happy, but he was so tired it didn't even seem to matter. With every step he seemed closer to just collapsing...

"Where have you been?! What happened to your face?! Where did you go?!" As soon as the front door closed Kurogane reached out and roughly grabbed at Fai's face, pulling him forward, "Your hair is filthy! It's almost brown with dirt! What happened?!"

Fai seemed to not be paying attention as his hands came up to Kurogane's. The blonds hands were as cold as ice against his. "So warm..." His voice was not much higher than a whisper.

"You're freezing, you look exhausted, are you okay?" Fai smiled and nodded his head in Kurogane's hands.

"Were you worried for me Kurogane?"

"Yes. Extremely so...I didn't expect you to come back for a couple hours, but you were gone for thirteen hours Mage!"

Fai chuckled, "Hmmm, Mage...you can call me that forever...I'll never tire of it." Fai turned his head to Kurogane's palm and kissed it. "I love you. I missed you. I'm tired...may I go to sleep? I promise you can yell at me later. Hell, I'd yell at me too."

"I'm...not angry anymore...I'm worried." Kurogane picked Fai up in his arms, no protests, no yells, no kicking, no insults. Fai didn't care that Kurogane was going to help him to his room. This above all else worried Kurogane. "What changed?"

"Hmm?"

"No matter how tired you were you never let me carry you before..."

"Oh...that." Fai reached up and stroked the ninja's face. "I...don't want to be alone forever. I don't want to be on my own...like she said I would be. I want someone with me...even if the feelings behind it are not real...Stay with me? Even though it's not real?"

"Can I stay if it is real?"

"I guess...but it's not. Will you stay?" Kurogane opened the door and set Fai down on the bed making the blond sit up as he removed the jacket...there were several small holes in it. It needed to be fixed again.

"I will."

Fai smiled and lay on his back, looking up at Kurogane, his hand reaching up again as if to grab the other's hand. "Promise?"

Kurogane took the hand, but before any words got out of his lips Fai was already asleep. He was sure Fai would deny any of this when he woke, but even so he wanted to answer. The black haired man shook his head smiling as he brought Fai's hand to his lips. "I promise to stay with you. Forever."

* * *

A//N: Thus I end this entire arch. The next two chapters are transition chapters that I feel I have to post or else no one will get the shift between archs...well not no one...but some.

I feel sad, soon the story will end...but I love it so much.

Anyway, review please.


	10. Chapter 10

A//N: Okay here is the first of the two chapters I'm sure people will dislike me for. The reason for this being, they are almost straight out of the manga. I added a scene in this chapter that isn't, but other than that, all the events are from the later chapters.

I feel kinda bad for doing this, but they're the transition chapters for my last arc. ((And I apoligize for my misspelling of arc in the last chapter...))

No, I don't own Tsubasa, but I felt these chapters would clear any questions someone who's only seen the anime/not gotten this far in the manga.

**_SPOILERS_**. You have been warned.

* * *

_First Person: Fai's POV

* * *

_

Why? Why can everyone play this game? Why does it seem like I'm the only one left behind by this game they so cruelly call life? Kurogane...he plays so well, he has a full deck of cards and knows many tricks with them...he tosses one after another out at me, never letting me rest until I cry and fall to pieces...I want to be like that. I want to be able to hold myself strong and follow the exact details of what I want The details of what is right.

I can't.

I've even tried to tell myself Syaoran and Sakura are having problems playing the game...they are. Of course they are. Everyone has their problems. But still, at least they can play.

Even now as I watch Syaoran I can see how well they can all play. He fights that being, that robot, it's obvious he aims to win. He aims to do anything and everything he can to get his goal. He takes fate head on and screams in it's face, saying it's wrong, saying he won't listen...

I could never do that. I can't even look at fate's feet without trying to claw my heart out...

Sakura even. She's changed so much, she used to be like me, she couldn't play. She had to depend of Syaoran...now she wants Syaoran to depend on her, she wants to be her own person and contest fate... She knows I can't play. She's even tried to help. Just a few minutes ago she told me to put myself before others from now on.

Those words still ring in my head, pounding at my skull. It's something I'd expect Kurogane to say, but not Princess Sakura...anyone but her...

_"Fai? Can you hear me?" _Chii?

_"I'm listening." _A frown...I could not help but frown. I'm glad Kurogane didn't notice, even though he said he would stop playing the game, he still might do something if he saw my expression suddenly change.

Think...There's no more time. I may be safe now, but there is no more time. If I stay here much longer, and if I met King Ashura who woke up...I...

A slight jump came as an automatic reaction as someone gripped very tightly to my arm. I looked to that side, Kurogane...He's giving me that same look he's been giving me on and off for a while now. Telling me everything that he told me in the game with that one look. It's not my fault, I'm valuable, find out where I stand, I hurt people, there's no point in avoiding it. Everything. All in that one look.

I'm sorry Kurogane...I can't believe it. I want to. I want to believe you. I want to let you in. I want to tell you everything, about Yuui, about Ashura, about my life, about why I'm so messed up. About why I can't play.

I stared at him with a wide eye for a moment and then looked back to the fight, Chii no longer in my mind.

I watched as the battle went on. I heard Syaoran say that this would be the final blow and I knew he was correct...even Kurogane said, "It's over." The robot fell...Syaoran won.

Sakura ran to Syaoran's side as he fell...but I was distracted as something fell from the ceiling, it looked so familiar... "Chii?!" I stared in awe as she fell from the sky. It was her, but it was not her. She wore all black, the Chii I knew wore white...

Words... She could travel dimensions? Sakura was leaving. I wouldn't stop her, it was what she wanted, I didn't have the right. This may have been how I thought, but neither Syaoran or Kurogane thought this way. Syaoran clung to her, and Kurogane yelled from my side saying to not let her go.

Something beeped, "There's another dimensional path..."

"Chii's seal has been broken..." These words came whispering from my lips. I had not really meant to say them out loud, but it was true. I could feel it. She was changing back, the King had surely awoken now.

I listened, I had to listen to every word now, nothing could go wrong, everything was so unstable... "I won't make it on time." My eye widened when I heard Sakura speak these words.

"Could it be? Sakura-chan..." I saw things, things I had not seen so clearly since I had been Yuui. It was like I was reliving it again. I remembered the curse, the curse of killing...

I tried to shake my head. I tried to clear these thoughts from my head, but I found I was unable to control anything about myself. That must be it, it was activating, that's why I was seeing it...

I walked forward. For a moment Kurogane's grip held onto me, but I quickly pulled away from it. "Wait!" I felt Kurogane reach out for me again, but I was out of arm's reach. I wished he had been able to keep a hold on me. He had wanted to save me, he had tried so hard, but it was all for nothing. I had tried to warn him. He's so stubborn, but then again, that was something I'd loved about him.

Magic within me activated and I appeared behind Syaoran as Sakura finally managed to throw him off her.

For a moment I stared, watching as the black and white Chii were on either side of Sakura. The two feathers flowed directly to her. Together the magic was far greater than my halved magic. Even though I resisted the action, I reached out and picked up Syaoran's sword. Before I even knew it I had rammed Sakura through with the sword...I had no control at all. It was horrible.

I slowly began to regain control, my eye was able to widen at the heinous crime I'd just committed. My magic lost all control within my body as it was given back to me. My light, one of the only lights I had left...gone. Just like that, just because of me! It was always my fault. I pulled the sword out of her body against my own will and against Kurogane's yells. It couldn't be avoided.

After all everything I loved became dust after I touched it. Everything.

I was screaming. I knew I was screaming. My magic reacted to that sound and my will, destroying everything around. I had complete control. I knew that subconsciously, but my mind didn't have control. I gave control to my emotions, I did this so that I didn't have to think. Emotions were enough to think for me. I didn't want to truly grasp that she was really gone, that I could never see that warm smile again.

I wanted it to just be a dream. I wanted Kurogane to shake me awake. I wanted to sit up and yell at him for entering my room while I was still sleeping, even though I would truly be thankful to him for awakening me from such a horrible nightmare. That wouldn't happen. I knew it wouldn't, this wasn't a dream. It was too real to be a dream. She was really gone.

I was screaming even louder now, I could hear it. I could hear my screams, I knew it was my voice, no one else's, yet I couldn't feel my mouth open, I couldn't feel anything around me, I could hardly even see. I wasn't thinking.

A gentle hand touched me. This touch brought me to a partial sanity. I stopped screaming. My eye softened. I could see. Who had touched me?

Sakura? No, she wasn't bleeding. The real Sakura was behind her bleeding so much that she would surely die. Who was in front of me?

The one in front of me gently took my hand and pulled it up to her gently, _"We made it on time. Don't worry, my life won't disappear. It's still here."_ This other Sakura slowly wrapped her arms around my neck lovingly in an embrace. Her voice whispered to me, _"Please don't forget. From now on the future can be changed."_

I felt something wet on my face, what was it? After a mere moment I realized that it was tears. Tears. I was crying the tears Kurogane had taught me to cry. Sakura looked at me with pure sympathy. I didn't deserve that look. I didn't deserve that or the words that came after it. _"I'm so sorry."_

She looked to Kurogane and Syaoran, _"Please, take care of Fai-san. Until we meet again."_

She was gone then. The two Sakura's going with the two Chii's, one going with mine to my own world...Celes. I watched them completely disappear and then I realized I still had that sword gripped tightly in my hand. A tear dripped off my face as I held it up above my head and stared at it expectantly.

From behind me I suddenly heard my only other light speak, "Don't hurt anyone else with that sword, not even yourself." I turned to look at him in disbelief. Even after seeing what a horrible person I was he still dared to try and help me?

I could not bring myself to look at Kurogane any longer so I looked to Syaoran. His look of sadness and regret overwhelmed my heart and my tears ran faster.

I felt my body give out and I began to fall forward, "I..am...sorry..." I breathed out to him as I fell. Just before my face hit the floor I felt Kurogane's strong grasp grip to my arm holding me up. After that I felt no more.

* * *

More words, Yuuko's voice. My eye was closed, they probably thought I was asleep. I was laying against something soft. A bed probably. I wanted to reach out to wherever Kurogane was and hold him close to my body. I wanted to pray deeply to the highest being there was that he would not leave me. No, please not yet...but I resisted. I didn't deserve such things as loving someone or being loved by another. So I listened. 

Yuuko spoke about Sakura, about curses and my killing her, about prices, her luck, the future, changing things. As the witch spoke it made sense. At last I propped myself up on my elbows weakly, not looking at anyone, but I spoke then. My voice was a bit horse from the screaming. I didn't even care. "Sakura-chan. She knew didn't she? That I was lying. She knew that there were feathers of hers in the world where I was...Celes country."

"Sakura knew because her power to see ahead through dreams came back when the feather was returned in Tokyo."

I heard Kurogane's low voice speak out, "That princess was a dream-seer too?"

I ignored the comment and kept speaking, "A long time ago I created Chii with a feather that fell in Celes..." I kept on speaking, speaking, speaking. Then I listened when I spoke to Syaoran about his knowing. He knew that I had to have been lying about something. That I had brought a feather with me from Celes to save Sakura in the beginning. "Correct, I had that feather since the very beginning."

I was hardly aware that I was speaking anymore. It just hurt, everything inside me hurt. I wanted to get it out, and as I kept speaking the pain lightly weakened. But it was only so much comfort to me, and it was no comfort to anyone else. It hardly mattered.

Finally I stopped speaking and started to listen again. Kurogane and the others decided that we would hunt for Sakura's body, since her soul was safe within a dream for now, even though it probably wouldn't be safe for long. We would go world hopping, looking for a needle in a haystack. We didn't have that much time, we needed to find Sakura's body now. I knew where it was... "I have a request. The magic power I can use now is probably not enough so..."

"There is a price."

"My right eye." I felt everyone's shocked gazes fall upon me, but I didn't care. "Actually, I'd be okay with gouging out and handing over each eyeball, but this is my magic power itself so if I lose both eyes I'll predictably die. I can't die just yet. So. Make all that this eye can see the price."

"You'll hand over the right eye's eyesight?"

"Yes."

"With that price what is it that you wish?"

I stood straighter, almost afraid of the words I was about to speak, but I kept my face straight. I deserved every ounce of pain I got from this moment on, even more than I had before. "I wish to return to Celes Country."

"No!" Mokona cried, "No way! If Fai did such a thing he'd end up unable to see anything!"

"That's about all I can pay."

I felt something connect with my head. It hit swiftly and hard, and it almost knocked me off my feet. "I said I'd hit you didn't I?" I turned my head to Kurogane with surprise. Yes, he'd said that a couple times, but I had never expected him to actually do it... "Why should you be the only one to pay a price? If her body is in this 'Celes' country then it's not just you that's going is it?"

"B-but..." I didn't even get to finish my argument as Kurogane reached out looping his finger through my collar and dragging my body close to his, our faces only inches apart. "Up until now you and the princess were allowed to do pretty much as you pleased. This time we're doing it as _I_ like." He gave me that look he'd given me when he told me he was going to help me. I wanted to say that throughout this entire world that he'd been controlling my movements, that we'd been doing things as _he _liked. That wasn't right. He'd never actually forced me to do anything. He'd never held me by his side. He'd only followed, or let me follow...

I stared into his eyes, asking him how the fuck he did it all, but he roughly let go of me turning away from me. He was obviously disgusted by me. "Oi, Witch." He spoke, asking questions, getting answers. He confirmed that Mokona and Syaoran too were coming with us...

"Fai!" Mokona jumped to me, "Let's go together! Let's all pay one forth of the price and then go help Sakura! Together."

"But..." Once again I was cut off, by Syaoran this time.

"The reason I didn't say anything even though I knew you were lying was because the princess trusted you. Even if you were lying she trusted you through every lie." I felt tears want to tug past my eyelid, but I resisted, instead biting my lip lightly and just staring at the boy in front of me. "Back there the princess said to take care of you. Therefore I'll trust you too."

When I heard those words I looked a bit shocked. I wanted to almost yell at Syaoran, call him an idiot, but not out of anger. No, truly the words were almost comforting, but I didn't understand. I was confused. I knew why, I could understand why he said that. It was for the same reason I never pushed Kurogane far enough away that he wasn't within arms reach of my soul. It was because he loved Sakura...but in this case it defied all logic. Even though she had said to take care of me I had killed her in the first place, for Syaoran there should be no trust in me...

"If Fai is alone Sakura will be lonely for sure, but if everyone is together then Sakura will be very, very happy for sure." I looked down at Mokona as she said this and even though I normally would have smiled I could not even muster that much. I only hugged the small creature for it's kindness.

"Before that I'll hit you." I looked to Kurogane who wasn't facing me. I didn't doubt him as Mokona yelled at him and jumped on his head. I came closer to try and pull her off.

This was going to be long night. I wanted it to be over.

* * *

I lay in bed. Already I could tell I would get no sleep tonight. Even though everything had been arranged, even though everyone had agreed we'd go through with this when the sun rose, I would get no sleep. I could get no sleep. My mind would be haunted and eaten at by my thoughts. My guilt would chew at my insides at the terrible things I'd done, now more than ever before. 

I also knew Syaoran would not sleep tonight. I knew that he too would stay up all night, staring at his wall and thinking through everything that had happened. I knew that it was my fault he'd get no sleep. It was my fault that his precious person was gone. It was my fault, it was my fault, it was my fault. It's always my fault.

I felt so horrible, why couldn't I just die? It'd do the worlds a ton of good if they were to be rid of me. Even though I wasn't cold I pulled the covers more over my body. Just like I knew Syaoran was, I was laying on my side, staring at the wall.

I shut my eye. Not even the wall was lowly enough to deserve my disgracful gaze. I gripped the sheets. I felt like I was being torn apart, but I wasn't, there was nothing to pull. Both sides of me agreed, I was scum. Scum doomed to walk the earth until someone finally came along who could kill me. Someone! Anyone! Please! Kill me! Of course I had to ask someone else to kill me...I was too cowardly to do it myself...

My thoughts drifted to Kurogane. After all he had said that if I wanted to die so badly, he'd do it for me. That had to be a lie...he wouldn't put so much effort into trying to fix someone who he might kill later. It would be a dream, to be killed by him. I would deserve it, to be killed by my one and only light left.

Maybe Kurogane would sleep. I could hope. It was cruel of me to think this, but really he was the one least affected by this. He hadn't done anything wrong, and while he did care about Sakura...she wasn't the most important person to him. He was probably worried all the same. He was such a nice person.

I heard my door open. Who? I didn't even need to turn over or hear a word before my unspoken question was answered. It was Kurogane. I could smell him. Ever since I had drunk from his neck and the lessons from the vampire couple the same day his blood was the most potent scent to me. I could smell his blood even when it wasn't dripping from his body. I could smell it through his skin. "Have you come to play the game? You promised you wouldn't.."

"Im not here to play."

"Okay." I opened my eye to stare at the wall. Everything was silent, but I could smell his blood getting closer to me. I was about to turn over to look at him for a moment, but before I could I felt him grab me around the waist and slowly his arms wrapped around me. His body laid down behind mine.

"What are you doing?" I looked over my shoulder at him. He was still now. His blood red eyes were closed, "You just said you weren't here to play the game!"

"I'm not you idiot!" He yelled this into my shoulder. "Have you ever thought that maybe I'm hurting because of this too? I'm here to get comfort of my own!"

"What about Syaoran-kun? He just lost the one he loved..."

"Exactly, he doesn't want anyone else near him... besides he's already asleep. I knew you wouldn't be so I came to you...actually that's partically a lie...you were always my first choice..." I felt his arms tighten around me. It was almost tight enough that I couldn't breathe. "Turn over." His strong voice commanded me, yet I couldn't obey with his arms holding me so tightly.

"I can't..." His arms withdrew from my body so I turned over like he asked. Almost instantly his arms were around me again, one around my waist one held my head. It's fingers buried deep in my hair as he held my face to his chest.

Neither one of us spoke. Slowly I began to fall asleep...I couldn't help it, he was just too warm, and comforting...

Just before I fell asleep I thought I heard the words, "I love you." from him, but it had to be a trick of my mind just as I fell asleep. I had to just want it so much...for him to not to not find me disgusting like he surely did...

* * *

For the first time in a long time I was wearing clothes from my world, my clothes from Celes. It felt a bit strange to be wearing these clothes again. It'd been over a year since I'd worn them, I was so used to wearing a pair of shoes, a pair of pants, shirt, and jacket, if that much. I was no longer accustomed to wearing three layers of clothes to simply keep me warm. 

I looked out to where everyone else was already gathered. They were all so...clean, so unharmed, or so it seemed. Even if they were right now, I knew my companions would not be so unharmed once we got out of Celes.

Where would we land after Celes? Would we be attacked again? I couldn't let that happen...not after all the things that have and would happen. They needed to be safe after Celes, even if I wasn't with them. I wrote on air, after a moment Yuuko appeared in the center of the spell cicle. "What could be so important that you actually use your own magic to speak with me?"

I smiled, chuckling a bit, as if nothing had happened. "Well, I've used so much of my magic power already." I could fully remember the power I had used last night. "Anyway, I can't think that we'll be able to visit Celes without anything happening. I want you to ensure that the next world after Celes will be a safe one for them." I couldn't think that I would be leaving with them. I was almost sure I would be staying in Celes somehow...

"The world after Celes...I see..." The Time Witch seemed to ponder over this. "You say "safe" but that can be interpreted in several ways."

I looked over my shoulder at them again, all so safe right now. I bit my lip, I couldn't let anything happen to them. I loved them..."Somewhere where they can at least heal their injuries and rest a while." I took in a breath. "The price?"

"To change the destination for the four of you..." No, it was three...the three of them. "All four must pay a price."

I frowned, no, no don't make them pay...me, only me! "But this is my wish..."

"And thus you will need to pay a price above and beyond the prize you recieved for your chess victory. When you travel to Celes you will use your own tranportation magic."

It didn't even matter anymore, they would be safe. "All right."

"I have already recieved part of the payment."

I stared as she cut off the connection. "What?" I knew it was useless to ask, but I didn't understand. Who had asked for it? Who had paid?

I couldn't find out right now. I turned walking out to them, the ones I loved. The ones who were not quite so doomed as I was.

Mokona looked at me from Syaoran's shoulder, "Are you okay?"

I smiled softly for her, "I'm fine."

"Everyone's ready!" Yuuko came onto the screen that came from Mokona's jewel as Syaoran said this.

"Then, the four payments. Hand over the prize money for the chess victory. In the chess it wasn't just the princess. It's something you all took part in. It's something you earned with your own power, therefore it'll be the payment."

Mokona looked down at the ground. "Mokona didn't take part..."

Syaoran spoke in response before anyone else could, "Because we knew you were waiting, we did our best to return. No. You were with us properly."

"Syaoran..." I smiled softly, and on the other side of Syaoran, Kurogane smiled too. It was a kind thing to say, but then again Syaoran was a kind person.

"There is one more condition..." We all looked to Yuuko wondering what it was...except me. After all I already knew. "When Mokona transports you, Fai use your transport magic along."

The smile instantly faded from my face. I looked to the ground, closed my eye and nodded, "Yes." It was fine, it would keep them safe!

I could feel Syaoran's gaze on me, I knew he was thinking about the time I had said that I couldn't hop dimensions more than once. I couldn't help but apologize to him, "Sorry, I was lying about that too." I turned and looked to Mokona. I wanted to do something before we changed worlds. I wanted to give Kurogane something... "Mokona, could you take out Souhi?"

I watched as she pulled Souhi out from within her and I caught it with my hand walking silently over to Kurogane. "Your hand." He seemed very reluctant. I knew he was disgusted by me, I didn't blame him. I looked emotionlessly at him until he held out his hand for me. I signed over it, spelling out a sealing for Souhi. I let go of it once the words were finished and Kurogane's eyes widened as it was pulled into his hand.

I smiled, knowing that if I could never do another thing for my light, I knew that this one thing would give him comfort many times during battle. "I know that when Mokona isn't by your side you're bothered by not having a sword."

Kurogane stared at his palm, "Is this okay?"

I smiled and shrugged, "I've already used a lot already, magic power." A little more for his sake wouldn't hurt. In fact it was probably the most worthwhile magic I'd ever use. I watched as he clenched his hand as if the spell was a precious thing that he would never let go. It made me feel good, I'd finally done something for him...

"Mokona."

"Yes." Mokona began to go through her transport magic and I quickly turned away from Kurogane and began to write on air again, a long spell. It would take up a lot of the magic I had left. Oh well. It was necessary.

"To Celes country." These were the last words I heard before we all disappeared.


	11. Chapter 11

A//N: Wow...people didn't hate me for the last chapter...it's a good thing. 

Anyway this is the second and last of the first person POV chapters. And the second and last chapter that comes from the manga.

**_SPOILERS_**. You have been warned.

Enjoy and Review please.

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_First Person: Kurogane's POV

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Celes. I only remember Fai saying that name once or twice before. Yet it had been said so many times in the last fourteen hours. Almost as if he were making up for lost time in his grieving for that world. I knew it had to be cold there, if nothing else would tell me Fai's original attire did. All the furs. The hood he wore over his head. They all said that the world was cold. I just hoped the world wasn't desolate as well.

Even though he likes to keep people away, Fai wouldn't do well in a desolate world.

I opened my eyes as the magic stopped. This would be Fai's homeworld. The one he ran so desperately from. I looked around, it was cold, much colder than any other country we'd been to. Behind me I heard Syaoran's voice speak. "We arrived...this is...?"

The Mage finished the sentence for Syaoran, "Celes."

I now understood why Fai wore so many layers of clothing, it was simply because it was so damn cold around here! And the snow, that had to get on everyone's nerves constantly...

"That castle is?"

"Where I was, Castle Ruval." I stared to where Fai and Syaoran were looking, the castle. It was pretty in it's own way, physically impossible, it must've been held up with magic somehow...

"It's no good I don't know where Sakura's body is!" Mokona yelled and while Syaoran comforted the thing the Mage pointed forward and up, directly toward the castle.

"Sakura-chan is over there."

"How can you tell?" I could see my breath in front of my face. As I watched it I half expected it to fall in down in front of me in little shards of ice.

As Fai spoke his voice was very grammatically correct. He spoke with utmost care. He didn't really want to be speaking. He didn't want to explain. "Although her body and soul are separated, Sakura-chan is still alive. The presence of living things comes from nowhere other than that castle."

"What about other people in this country?"

Fai's hand fell to his side and beneath the hood I knew he was looking down. I understood, everyone else in the country was dead. Within the country only the sleeping man and Sakura were still alive. Even though I couldn't see his face I knew some sort of sadness or guilt was eating at him. I wanted to slap him and tell him it wasn't his fault, but I wouldn't start yet, not yet. He wasn't ready. He needed to fix himself a little from the events that completely shattered him before I did anything.

"So, how do we get to the castle? Climbing those stairs?"

Fai shook his head slightly to Syaoran's questions, "It's not like they're really there."

I raised an eyebrow at this comment, "An illusion?" I waited for a response but it didn't come as Fai raised his hand and began to write illuminated symbols on the air, but Syaoran gripped his arm stopping him. They stared at each other having a silent conversation before the Mage let his hand drop to his side and the kid raised two fingers instead. A wind swirled around them.

"Fuuka Shourai!"

We were all lifted off the ground, and began to fly forward surrounded by what seemed to be a shield. Quicker than I realized we got closer and closer to the castle and began to ascend, the shield disappearing as we landed. No one but Mokona seemed to be surprised to see all the bodies that lay scattered around the area. They all lay looking quite uncomfortable in their frozen, unceremonious graves. I could not tell whether these people looked like the Mage or not. They all wore hats, and their eyes were for the most part closed. However they look look similar in one way.

"Those clothes look like the ones Fai wears!" Mokona stated the obvious. They all had the same coat, white with the same patterns in light blue.

"The people of this castle?" I looked to where Fai was as I asked this. He was facing away from all of us, slowly heading on up the stairs as if he thought that if he was slow enough and quiet enough he could get away with going on without us. Like that'd happen...

"That's right." Fai's soft tone was heard as he answered me not looking back at any of us. It was unnerving in a way. The tone he spoke with. It was hallow, empty, worse than I had ever heard it.

Syaoran and I began to follow him now. We went up the stairs, to a door, a very large door that looked like it might just collapse from being too big...more of an archway than anything.

As we got up there Syaoran paused, seeming to be in pain. I too paused, "What's up?"

"Does your head hurt?"

"No..." Syaoran put his fingers to his eye, as if it had ached. Perhaps it had.

I shook this off and went on forward, stopping my quick pace as I got just a few inches away from where Fai was. He kept his hood up so I couldn't see his facial expression but I knew, he was concentrating deeply on something. I could also tell he was still beating himself up inside for all of this, as well as wishing he weren't here. Celes was truly the last place he wanted to be. I wanted to comfort him, and technically I was allowed to. We'd left Infinity, I could 'play my game,' but I wouldn't, it wasn't the time. "Can you tell where in this castle the Princess' body is?"

Fai only walked forward, his head did not even tilt anymore toward the ground, "Yes."

We were silent then, walking down and up many sets of stairs until we reached another one of those big archways that had doors attached to it. The Mage reached out to push it open although it seemed impossible for someone so small to push open such heavy doors. Before his hand even touched it the doors began to open on their own and Fai jerked his hand back away from them.

As they opened completely I saw a man inside. He had black hair and wore kingly clothes. Beside me the kid put his hand to his eye again, it obviously bothering him even more than it had when we had started on this route. The pain was probably caused by this man's presence.

The man smiled looking at Fai and Fai alone. His hands cupped together lightly in front of him, "Welcome back Fai."

Now I saw Fai's head bow more to the ground, almost as if he wanted to shrink away from this man, as if he was afraid of him. I knew from the voice he spoke with that that wasn't the reason why he did this, "I was hoping I would never have to return...King Ashura."

I have to admit, Iwas a bit shocked by the name, I remembered it from the country of Yama. This man however did not look like the Ashura from that time, this one looked very different. Same hair color...but many people had black hair, it wasn't exactly something to go on. Was this an older version of that Ashura with the same soul? Or was this someone completely different?

This Ashura shook his head, still smiling lovingly at Fai. "You hoped that even though you promised that you'd grant my wish." The man held out his hand for Fai to take, or so it seemed until he swept his arm back pulling the folds of his cloak away from his side. Underneath the cloak was a person. "This child has also been waiting...for you, all this time."

I grimaced at the sight of this 'child.' Was it really a child? It looked so...dead. It looked so miserable, so old. Long blond hair that reached the floor and ratty torn clothes. It looked almost like Fai in an absurd, insane way. Blue eyes and the same shade of blond hair.

Without warning both the child and Fai walked forward, stopping a few feet away from each other. Fai stared down at the child. I could not see his face, I could not even read the emotion he could possibly be feeling. I could not know what was going on in inside his head. I couldn't even guess. I found myself wanting to know.

The child reached its arm forward to Fai, as if he wanted to touch Fai. It pointed. It pointed at Fai, accusingly, but it did not speak. What was it saying with that gesture? What was it accusing Fai of? What had happened here? I'd always said that his past didn't concern me, that I didn't care. I don't. I want to help him, help who he is now, however...perhaps I can not do that without knowing. It has been shown over and over again that Fai _did_ care. That Fai's actions and very movements were decided by his past.

I began to see things, things were not in front of me. I could still see Fai, I could still see the scene in front of me, but images of another kind now flashed in front of my eyes. I also heard words that were not from the present...

Fingers, climbing, twins, misfortune? Boys, two of them, the twins, they looked like Fai might have as a child...

Were these Fai's memories?

Locked away? One in a tower? One in the below? Fai. The name was spoken. Yes, these were Fai's memories...but if that was true...then why was I seeing this other one so clearly while Fai was up in the tower staring down?

Yuui? Yuui! That name was spoken too! Yuui was Fai's brother?

That did and did not explain things...Yuui would have looked just like Fai, but it did not explain why when I asked about his name Yuui said that he saw all Fai saw and knew all Fai knew...

I wanted to see more, I wanted to understand now. I wanted to know why. If nothing else I wanted to know who Yuui was...

That was all.

Yuui was strong in a way, he wanted to leave, and could leave, or thought he could. He was brave, brave enough to try and escape and think that if he did leave it might give Fai a better life...

How could it be? How could them being twins be such bad luck for others? It was impossible, clearly it was just the bad luck upon themselves that did this.

How did they escape? There was no one left to take them out. I felt sorry for them both, they had really done nothing to deserve it...but did anyone ever do anything to deserve what they usually got? I felt most sorry for Yuui...even though Fai was trapped in the tower, Yuui being below got the worst of it. To see people fall, and bleed, and die right before his eyes...

No wonder Fai didn't care about his life, no wonder he needed such help. To be able to do nothing for so long...and I still don't know how they got out.

For a moment the memories stopped. I could see Fai, Ashura and the boy clearly now. Was that boy Yuui? If so then how was he in Fai? And why was he so much younger than Fai? Why did he still look so starved? Why? Why?

"It was your decision, was it not?" Ashura spoke to Fai. I wanted to yell at him, to tell him to stop. Even thought I wanted to know, I knew without seeing Fai's face or hearing Fai's voice I knew Ashura was stepping on the pieces of Fai's shattered soul and breaking them even more, grinding them into dust, something that could not be repaired. I wanted to know, but I wanted Fai to not be harmed even more. Ashura was harming Fai.

He was ruining the help I wanted to give Fai!

The memories started again...The bat symbol! The same one that had been on the sword that had killed my mother! The same one Syaoran had claimed to have seen! So...this is what he looked like? The one who had screwed with all of us...

Fai? How was that possible? Fai had just fallen from the tower and died...

Now. Now it made sense. Fai had died...Yuui had taken on Fai's name. My Fai was Yuui...thus why Yuui said he was merely Fai's inner child. He meant this literally. Yuui was who my Fai was as a child...Fai had truly been the person who now stood in front of my Fai. No. Who stood in front of Yuui.

I felt Syaoran fall to my side, I knew he was crying, just like he had when he had seen my memories from that book back in the world of Recourt. I also knew that the pain in his eye must be near to unbearable by now. I knelt by his side, placing a hand on his back in comfort, he obviously couldn't handle such horrible things. Yet they happened somewhere every day.

The memories stopped again. I stared at my Fai, I could practically see him shake, "Yes. You who had received the memories of that child should know...he chose you Fai. No, your real name should be Yuui right? You took the name of that child and erased your own name from this world. But, even so, your sins can't be erased."

Ashura looked back at us. "It's all right. I have shown it to the two who came with you. Your past."

Fai looked back at us too now, horror shown on his face. It wasn't quite as bad as when he had stabbed the Princess through with the sword, but it was close...and it could very well get worse.

"Come and take a look at the real you Fai." I glared at Ashura, Fai was sure to think that I was glaring angrily at him, disgusted by him, but it wasn't that. I wasn't Fai, I hadn't been there, I could not judge him by this. I'm sure most people would have done the same thing, especially children. No, it was the 'King' I was glaring at. He was doing all this just to torture Fai, I knew it, he had no rhyme or reason for this! He was hurting Fai!

The memories started to flow again. I let them flow across my mind, not paying much attention to them anymore. They weren't important...I knew enough. I knew enough to help Fai, I knew enough to understand why he was who he was...

Fai stared at me, at my glare. I could see it from through the memories. He was so afraid right now, he thought he had lost his 'last light' somehow...still I kept my mouth shut. I didn't trust what would come out of it if I spoke out loud.

Me. I saw me. Tomoyo...I listened to this part...I was the witches pawn to this guy with the bat symbol...from the very beginning we were supposed to be enemies? Ha, oh well. That didn't work out very well, did it?

A ghost of a smirk flitted across my face before the glare for Ashura returned. I let go of Syaoran. He fell to the ground softly along with Mokona and I walked forward. Fai drew away from me, his face becoming more and more afraid as he became more and more sure that I hated him. My glare never wavered as I reached out my hand and used the very seal Fai had given me to get my sword from my hand. Thank you Mage...this will work great. I'll even use it to help you first.

My Fai hugged the real Fai close to his body, "I can't die yet." He turned slightly to protect the dead child, "Not until Fai is revived. Not until I give him back his name and his life."

"Then you must kill right?" Ashura pointed at me, "Him."

Fai took in a breath and reached out. His hand alone was so unstable, surely his whole body was trembling under all those clothes. He didn't move other than his shaking. He seemed to be unable to attack me, even though he was under the impression that I was going to try and kill him...

"And I must have you grant my wish." With these words Fai's memories started to flow again.

I watched sword pointed as the memory of how Fai got his 'markings' flowed across my mind. This wasn't right, there was something missing from the memory. Why would he restrain Fai's magic if it got stronger with more use?

In the present Fai finally got the courage to write a spell upon the air to try and attack me. I slashed forward cutting through it and placed the blade close to Fai's skin, "Get this lie over with!" I yelled loudly, then quickly took the blade away from Fai, for he was not who I wished to hurt. I aimed a blow at Ashura, Fai shot off another spell at me. I managed to avoid most of it, but I did get nicked on the cheek by a shard of what was thrown at me.

Why was he protecting this man? Maybe he'd been kind sometime in the past, but Fai had been running from him up til now! There was no need for him to stop me, there was no logic behind it!

Fai began to write again as I slashed through his second spell. The memories flowed. I ignored most of them, concentrating on fighting against Fai's magic. Spell after spell I had to block with my sword. I avoided them until one got too close. I was hit. I crashed back and my back smashed against the floor. I quickly got up, there was no time to waste.

I dashed at Fai, I did not want to hurt him, but if I had to hurt him to get at that king. If I had to hurt him to help him, I would.

"MAJESTY!" Fai's voice screamed out in time with his own memories. A powerful spell came off of him and I braced my self against it, being pushed back away from him, I could barely keep my eyes open against the wind that the spell gave off. I'd never quite grasped just how powerful Fai's magic really was...

I jumped up and attempted to cut through the gigantic spell...I got through it and came down toward Fai, cutting down through him, not my Fai, but the little dead child that my Fai held. "Fai!" The Mage's voice yelled in desperation as I did this.

Before my Fai could give any more reaction then that I grabbed onto my Fai's head and forced him down on the ground, holding him there and making sure no more spells came off his hands. "It should be like I said. Your past has nothing to do with me. Besides, if what that guy showed us is your past, it doesn't make sense, does it?"

"Wh...at?" I heard Fai's voice ask from beneath me.

I explained my reasoning to him, saying that if his magic got stronger the more he used it, why did it need to be suppressed to suppress the curse? Why not just let it become as strong as it could?

Fai shook beneath me and reached out taking a crystal of his memory that fell from the ceiling and holding onto it, looking into it trying to see what he had missed. The memory cleared. So the king wanted Fai to kill _him_ using that curse...bah, useless. I looked to the king with fury, "Get this lie over with! Showing us a past that could come apart this easily, what the hell are you planning!?"

Ashura grinned, "I only want you to grant my wish Fai. You made me a promise that you would eliminate anyone who brought harm to this countries people. No matter who that may be."

Fai's body tensed, "I can't do it...you...brought me and Fai...out of that valley. No matter what...no matter what... I may think of you... you were still the first person...who ever showed kindness to the two of us. That's why...I can't kill you."

That damn man kept right on smiling, "Well then..." He raised his hand and something came up out of the water, all of us looked at it. It was Sakura's body. "I shall continue."

I let go of Fai's head, allowing him to stand next to me. I knew no spell would be woven for me right now. "Sakura-chan!"

"How very mysterious...there is no soul within this body and yet it lives on. Perhaps it is the power of that feather you gave human form. Although it seems to have already returned to this body. Yes...that girl." The girl that Fai had called 'Chii?' That was the only one I could possibly think of. There was no other girl that Fai had known.

Both Fai and I stiffened when he seemed to use magic to try and harm her. I dashed forward with my sword and Fai aimed attack spells. All the power of the spell was absorbed by some force that surrounded Ashura.

He smiled again, not looking to Fai this time, but closing his eyes, "To you this girl...her existence is very important to you."

"Your majesty?"

Seemingly out of the blue he attacked with a similar magic to Fai's. I prepared to defend myself, but a shield made of magic appeared in front of me. Fai had protected all of us from that spell, but the next spell took down the shields surrounding me and Syaoran... "Syaoran-kun! Mokona!" We did not know what had happened to them as the spell hit and a dust cloud arose.

Something grabbed onto me and Fai looked around frantically, at Syaoran, at me, and at Sakura. He gasped when he saw that Ashura was about to stab Sakura with what seemed to be a dagger of ice... "STOP!!!" Fai used the most powerful spell I'd seen from him yet, but it had no affect. Fai was about to be hit, if not killed...

"Raitei...SHOURAI!" Syaoran's voice rung through the hall and killed off the attack that had been about to hit Fai...

The hold on me weakened and I pulled out, dashing to help Fai. He needed help, we had to win this. I saw Fai's face, he looked so sad, it was a look of pure pain and regret. For a mere moment I wondered why that look was on his face before I felt something ram through my side. Well, that hurt. A lot. I put my hand to the wound watching Fai as I fell to the ground.

I heard Fai scream loudly and for a minute, I heard nothing more, it was silent. My eyes saw black. Was I dying? Heh, it wasn't so bad...wait no. I could feel power going through me. I looked up. Ashura was holding onto Fai by his neck, blood coming from Fai's mouth. He was loosing badly.

Fai looked desperately to where Syaoran was. Sakura's body was by him, but there was a spell appearing there. Fai was attempting to save them with a spell of his own even though he was currently in a bad position. I had to help, even if it hurt to move. I had no choice. I dashed forward and cut through the spell just before the spell finished and harmed the kid and the princess. It hurt, but as long as I was concentrated on Fai and his king I could ignore it.

I dashed forward after that to try and help Fai. That king began to write yet another spell. "A protective seal?" He was staring at my head. I couldn't see anything there and I didn't care. I would worry about it later.

I stabbed through the next spell that came toward me as well, but that was not my intention. Had it worked?

The smoke cleared. It had. I had gotten him through with the sword. Hey, if the Mage wouldn't kill him, I would. He seemed truly shocked that I had managed to stab him...he smiled? Why the hell is smiling? I just dealt a lethal blow and I am _not_ Fai. "That seal protected you right? Draw out the sword." I stared in confusion, "Draw it out."

After a long moment I obeyed. His blood flowed and he pulled Fai closer. He still had a hold on his neck. Ashura put his hand to Fai's face, his eye... I looked and I realized that Fai was crying. "You mustn't cry for the likes of me." He whispered as he brushed the tears away gently. He pulled him even closer, into a half hug. "I wanted, if possible, to be killed by you and erase the last curse for you...however," he smiled once more. "If you're with them, you can overcome that curse."

He finally let go of Fai and fell to the ground. No more movement. No more breathing. He was dead. "Your Majesty!" Fai cried loudly kneeling by his side. Even now Fai still cared...Slowly Fai put his hand over Ashura's eyes and drew the eyelids down so that they closed...

He looked to me now. A look of sympathy and regret played his face. I merely stared back. Once he realized I wasn't going to say anything he closed his eyes and looked to the ground, or his knees. Away from me at any rate. I knew he'd just completely lost something that at one time or another had been one of his lights.

"Sakura...?" Syaoran's voice questioned as the girls body floated. Fai gazed in her direction for a moment before a splashing noise drew all our eyes toward the pool. The body of the real Fai came out. It held itself in a fetal position.

"Fai? Even though Chii is no longer there...why?"

As if it actually wanted to answer my Fai, the body uncurled revealing that he held an egg. Light burst from it and the shell shattered. A feather. As usual the feather floated to Sakura's body.

One last scene started to flash before my eyes. It didn't matter so I turned my head away thinking about almost anything but was going on in front of my eyes. When it stopped flashing I looked to Fai. He was crying again. "That was...Fai's memory?" His voice was whimpering.

Fai reached out as if to take the other Fai in his arms again but I grabbed onto his arm, when I saw him look at me I shook my head. He had to let go. If I wanted Fai to move forward he had to let his past go. "Let him sleep."

We both looked to where the original Fai was and the body degraded in Sakura's arms... "It was my fault...that all this time...you weren't allowed to sleep." The Mage bit his lip and closed his eye trying to not cry yet again. "I'm sorry Fai..."

"Quickly take us out of this world."

Before Mokona could even start to do anything A light surrounded Fai and myself. Something was wrong. I looked up trying to figure out what was wrong... "Oi!" I yelled at Fai.

"This world is...!"

Fai dropped to his hands and knees, panting, "This is...the other..."

"Oi!" I yelled again, ignoring his words, "Something's happening!" Fai lay down on his face, he seemed to have no energy at all.

After a moment Fai sat up very slightly, "This world is closing..." I could barely hear him as he he breathed the words out, "By my magic."

"What the hell does that mean!?"

"We won't be able to leave this place..."

I pulled on Fai's arm, trying to get him to stand up with me. I wouldn't believe that. "We're getting out of here!"

Fai shook his head, not resisting my action, but not exactly getting up either. "It's no good everyone...It seems I'm not getting stronger the more I use my magic after all..." There was a very small pause. "More likely, the more I use my magic the closer I get to dying..."

My eyes widened at this statement. "What?"

"But I still have magic power left. Syaoran-kun! Don't let go of Sakura-chan or Mokona." They obeyed. They were outside of the circle we were in.

"What do you want to do?!" I yelled at him, no I wouldn't just let him die, whatever he was planning there had to be a better way!

"Get out of here..." Fai began to write very quickly. In the middle of it all, it all suddenly collapsed, it's magic spilled everywhere...

Fai put his now free hand to his mouth and coughed, I could see the bright red blood drip from between his fingers...he was serious, he was getting closer to dying as he used more magic! "What happened?!"

Fai drew his fingers away from his mouth. His face was clearly horrified that he could do nothing at all. "My magic...it's not enough!"

I growled and while I never let go of Fai's arm I banged at the walls that surrounded Fai and myself, trying to break through them, there had to be a way! Suddenly a hole in the thing appeared above us. I pulled harshly on Fai's arm, not caring if it hurt him at the moment. Only caring to get him out. Only caring about saving him. About saving us.

I got out and for a moment thought we were in the clear, but he wouldn't come through...I tugged and pulled, but he wouldn't come. He realized this and tried to pull out of my grasp, "GO!" he commanded me. I glared. I wouldn't obey.

Suddenly I knew exactly what to do, a voice told me so. _"If you want him to go with you. If you wish for it with all your heart...you must exchange him for something that has the same magic as him." _The voice sounded so familiar...I let go of his arm. He seemed to be relieved, going to sink down into the middle of the cage again, but his eyes then widened as he realized what I was about to do. It looked like he was going to scream 'No' at me, but it was too late. I had made up my mind. He was coming with me, whether he wanted to or not.

In one swing of Souhi I cut off my arm and reached back in with the remaining one and grabbed him by the collar of his under coat and pulled him through with me. His top coat slipping off his body and being left behind.

I couldn't feel it now, and even if I could, the pain didn't matter. All that mattered was that I was saving him. Of course I myself couldn't die either...that would only mean that Fai would die later from having no blood from me. So we both had to live through this. It was the only option.

Fai stared at me with shocked and horror-stuck eyes. I pulled him closer to me not even thinking of letting go as Mokona started the magic to take us away. This had better be quick, I was already starting to black out from loss of blood...

Fai. Yuui. Whoever you are. The rest is up to you. I trust you.


	12. Chapter 12

A//N: Okay! So here is the first chapter within my Nihon Arc. This entire arc is going to be three or four chapters long. ((Including this one.)) Then that will be the end of the main story. ((Unless something very drastic happens within the manga...then I may decide to extend it even farther.)) However after the main story I will be including two other chapters. One for each of the future mirrors. ((You'll find out about those mirrors this chapter.))

I try to bring up the idea of mirrors and reflections in this story repeatedly...hope you noticed the reoccuring theme before now...

Anyway, read and enjoy, review if you will.

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Screams. Screams of varying strength and intensity filled the air as the bubble that carried the travelers released in the next world. Syaoran stood holding Sakura's limp body in his arms gently. Fai was not so loving. In fact he did not even touch Kurogane. His hands were to his mouth trying to hold back his screams as he looked down at the person who lay in his lap. 

"Fai-san..." As if Syaoran's voice saying his name were a trigger Fai took his hands away from his mouth his screams coming out full strength now. His gloved hands reached out and hugged Kurogane to him, his grip was tight as if daring anyone, even a god, to try and take him away from him.

He could do nothing! Nothing! He couldn't prevent his love from dying here in his arms trying to save his life. "You idiot!" This was the first sound that came from Fai that wasn't a scream since they had landed. "You idiot! I can't heal you! I can't do anything!"

"Fai-san..." Syaoran's voice repeated. "Look. You don't have to do anything."

"What do you mean Syaoran-kun?!" Fai yelled looking up, tears running silently off his face like rejected and imperfect crystals, "We've landed in the middle of nowhere! I can't do any magic right now, let alone healing magic! He's doomed, there's nothing I can do!"

"Behind you Fai-san." Syaoran's voice was eerily calm. "We're not alone here..."

"Go! Go! Go!" Fai's tears stopped as surprise stretched across his features. That voice sounded familar... The youngling looked over his shoulder, his hands holding to Kurogane even tighter. If at all possible his face became even more surprised when he saw how many people stood at the nearby hill.

People dressed all in black ran out from the group, carrying a stretcher with them. They stopped in front of Fai and pulled at Kurogane, trying to take him. At first Fai's arms tightened, but then loosened allowing them to take his wounded light and place him on the stretcher. "Wait!" Fai reached out to them. "Please, take me with, let me help!" He needed to do something, something to help. Something. Anything. They ignored him, merely running off.

Fai stood shakily to his feet, but then sunk back to his knees shaking his head. No...they were right...Kurogane was already on the brink of death from all the blood he'd lost, they didn't need him around to slow it down...not that it mattered. He was probably going to die anyway, all because of him...him and his bad luck...

The blond gripped to his knees and his entire body shook. He gasped for breath more tears spilling from his eyes. The tears Kurogane had taught him to cry...even though the ninja didn't seem to be able to cry himself...

Fingers lightly grazed along Fai's face, drifting from his hairline all the way down his tear soaked cheeks to his chin. The blond looked up. A young girl's face smiled down at him. Who would be smiling at a time like this? Then Fai recognized her. Tomoyo...Was this Nihon? Was the world that had been bought with his transport magic Nihon?

"Do not worry." Tomoyo's calming voice reached Fai's ears and for a moment his eye closed as he listened. "Kurogane will not die." It held the same tone, but there was so much more behind it. The most notable thing behind it was the will. This princess, this girl, she was positive that his light would not go out. She was sure he would live.

For a moment all doubt left Fai's body, but instead of his tears stopping, they ran faster. A sensation of happiness crept over him for a minute as he took Tomoyo's outstretched hand and pulled himself to his feet.

For once he had not killed that which he loved.

* * *

"Are you an oni?" The blond frowned as he turned around and looked down to see several children following him. He tilted his head slihgtly. The look on his face was blank, as if his mind could not make coherant thoughts. "Well? Are you?" 

"If I was you'd better run. I might just decide you'll be my dinner." The children looked at each other and giggled. It always baffled Fai how children could be so carefree. He knew children were supposed to be that way, but he had never been that way, so he wondered. "Why do you ask?"

"Your hair. Your clothes. They look so different. Like an oni that fails at it's human form."

A small chuckle escaped Fai's lips, it not a lighthearted chuckle, in fact it was very dark, almost evil. "I see." The mage nodded looking down at the children. "Yes. That is exactly what I am. A monster that fails to hide properly. I try so hard, but I can't even fool children anymore." The children were not speaking of the same kind of monster that Fai spoke of when he said yes, but being a vampire was probably close enough to what they wanted. "Children shouldn't be around me. Go home to your parents before I corrupt you."

"You must be an awefully kindhearted oni then, to let us go."

"The oni is not interested in undeveloped children. I don't like such pure things." The children giggled again and smiled at him before running off across the courtyard.

"That wasn't very nice." Fai didn't even need to turn around. It was Souma. He could tell by voice alone.

"They seemed to love it."

"I mean it wasn't very nice to yourself to agree with them."

"But it's all true."

"Yes. In this world you are considered an oni."

Fai turned around now. "But?" The way she had said those words. It sounded like she had meant to say something more, but had stopped herself from doing so for some reason or another.

"But he liked you. He wouldn't cut off his arm for some oni. He had to really like you."

Fai took in a deep breath, tilting his head as he gave her the same look he gave the children. That blank look that said he was lost. He was lost, very lost and he didn't know how to find his way. Fai put his fingers to his lips, they parted just enough so that he could speak softly. "If that's so, he's a fool."

Souma frowned. "A very lucky fool from what I can see. Come on now, Tomoyo-hime has sent you clothes and has requested that you bathe all the blood off of you before you change." Souma held out her hand. "She also wants that coat washed clean of blood, but other people will take care of that."

Fai shook his head. "It's useless. No matter how many times you wash it, the smell of Kurogane's blood mingled with traces of my own will never leave it."

"All the same, she wants it done." After a moment Fai sighed and slipped the stained overcoat off him. It occured to him now that the children had not been afraid of the blood on him. Had they thought it fake? Or were they so used to the sight it no longer bothered them? There was no way to know as he handed the coat to Souma. "Thank you."

Fai managed a small smile. "No. Thank you."

* * *

"Fai looks wonderful!" 

"Ah?" Fai looked over his shoulder as he looked to see Tomoyo behind him. He looked down at himself, in this blue and white yukata he wore. "Thank you. I...wasn't exactly sure how to put it on...but I did my best."

"Your best was correct." Tomoyo came closer now, reaching out and pulling on his sleeve slightly. "You can stop worrying now Fai. Kurogane is stable. He's just sleeping now."

A look of relief came over Fai's face and he closed his eyes bringing his hands up to his chest as if a great weight had just been removed. "Good. I'm so glad."

"However, it will be a couple days before he awakes. You will have to wait until then to speak with him."

Fai shook his head slightly. "I don't know what I would say to anyway at this point. He's given up so much for me, but I have never done anything for him. Nothing but cause him trouble. Maybe a couple days will allow me to think of some chaotic speech I'll say when he awakes." The blond looked down at the princess, his eye closed for a moment to think. "What of Syaoran-kun? Sakura-chan? Mokona? I have not seen any of them since I got here."

"Syaoran fell asleep once he was assured that Sakura would be safe. Sakura has been taken to a place where her body can be revitalized."

"And Mokona?"

"Is with Syaoran, but has been asking for you."

"Why didn't you just bring Mokona to me?"

"You...weren't stable. You aren't stable. I want you to be stable before you speak with Mokona."

Fai gave a small, but seemingly light-hearted chuckle. "I don't think I'll ever be stable again. Not after what he did...If I'm stable, for all I know it might happen again."

"It might." Fai flinched. "But then again when it happens it might be you cutting off your arm to save him." Fai shook his head as if to say that he was too much of a selfish person to do such a thing. Tomoyo seemed to mimick him and pulled on his arm, dragging him along as she pulled him out of the room. "You need reflections."

"I reflect everyday...I don't think anymore of it would do any good."

"No...not that kind of reflection." Tomoyo tsked her tongue at him. "I thought as a mage you would have heard of this before..."

"Heard of what?"

Tomoyo shook her and head and opened a door, "Reflections." The princess pushed Fai into the room and shut the door. "Don't come out until you figure it out, and learn what you want."

Fai blinked, he was in a dark room. At least for a moment he was. Then lights somehow flashed on and he realized he sat in a room full of mirrors. "What?" Yes, in each of these mirrors he would see his own reflection, but then what? It wasn't like he'd learn anything by looking at himself in a mirror.

He reached out and touched the mirror in front of him. One of the mirrors behind him touched as well...but it was different! Fai spun around and found himself staring at a younger him. A teenaged him that held several books in his arms. "I won't help you, I'm just as lost as you are."

Fai gasped putting his hands to his mouth. The teenager in the mirror laughed. "No, you didn't say that. I did."

"And who are you?"

"I'm you...from a few years ago." His teenaged self pointed to the mirror next to him. "There's you from when you started this journey." Fai looked and sure enough there he stood with two eyes and his staff, a smile plastered across his face.

His old self laughed, placing his hand to his mouth and waving slightly. "Hello, long time, no see.

"How does this work?"

His old self shrugged. "Each mirror holds a version of you...except for the two on either side your present self. I don't know what those are."

"I do." Fai spun around yet again and came face to face with what he thought was his present self, but it was wearing different clothes. "I'm your self from Infinity."

"I've changed since then?"

"Hell yes." Fai smirked at him, "Look at you, even worse than I was here. I was down, I refused help I knew I needed. Look at you, being pushed into a room and told to stay there. What do you do? You obey! You are way different than me." Fai pointed to the mirrors by his 'present self.' "Those mirrors there show two possible futures. They will play scene's like those strange television things from Piffle and the Hanshin Republic."

"My…futures?" Fai stared at his most recent past self and the blond in the mirror nodded. "How is that possible? To read my futures?"

Fai had to turn around again as another one of his past selves spoke. This time it was the teenager who held more books than seemed possible. "Well according to lore it is possible, after all there is such a thing as fortune tellers. I'm guessing that these are not actual images, rather, something that a fortune teller might guess and is thus put together all in one possible scene. Like a taste rather than the whole thing."

"I see…so the mirror itself is made of magic?"

"Don't know. We only know what you know, or knew. Well…except for Mr. Infinity over there. There was no way to know about the mirrors being possible future selves. That must be information from the mirrors themselves." Infinity nodded.

Fai slowly turned around looking at each mirror. He counted six phases. The small child. The starved child. The studious magician of Celes. The smiling fool. The vampire. Then his present self...he didn't have a name for this one, he didn't know what he was like in this form yet. Then there were also the two mirrors that supposedly represented a possible future for him.

"What are these spell mirrors supposed to do?"

The vampire spoke. "We are here to clear your mind. To light your path...to show you what you want, to show you what is possible. To remind you of what you have forgotten and were too deaf to hear when you were us."

"Does it work?"

The vampire shrugged. "That is up to you. Now. Listen to what we have to say." He pointed to the small child. "Starting with him."

Fai turned to him, "Love." This was all the child said. Fai knew he wasn't able to speak well back then so it made sense that it was all he would have said...

Slowly the blond looked to the starved child. "You must live. Live on no matter what is thrown at you. Don't throw your life away." Fai bit his lip as he heard Kurogane's own words within this advice. He closed his eye for a moment and nodded.

He turned a few degrees so that he could now see the teenager again. The studious magician. "I think mine's a little obvious." The young man held up one of his books. "Learn. Learn as much as you can about everything, if possible don't leave any stone unturned. Knowledge is invaluable in almost any situation. Don't assume, always learn so that you know. Assuming is bad, it causes problems."

"Right." That was something Fai had not forgotten from that time in his life, living through the textbooks and spellbooks, trying to learn everything he could, but everyone assumed...it was unavoidable.

Next was the smiling fool. "Don't hide. Don't run. Such silly words coming from me right?" He laughed and put one of his hands on his chest. "But I think we both learned that when we run, it always catches up with us. Someone will always see through the smile, like Kurogane did. Oh! And Lying. Don't do that. All it does is tangle you up in a web that makes it harder and harder to remember all the lies you've told. Even if you keep up with it all, it all eventually comes crashing down."

"That's...very true." Fai laughed slightly, "So...only one left..." The blond looked to the vampire.

The vampire smiled slightly and nodded. "I have two lessons for you. Even though I know I'm your most recent past, I believe you have already forgotten both my lessons. I don't blame you. Celes hit us hard." The vampire put a single finger to his lips. "Grow. Trust. You must grow past what you are. Always try to make yourself better than who you are in every way. Trust those you love, don't run from them, don't push them away, sometimes they push back."

"And when they do they push hard."

The vampire nodded. "And they are stubborn as mules. At any rate..." The vampire raised a hand and pointed calmly to the two future mirrors. "Take a look. There is no sound, but a small scene will play...Take note that you can't see anything that you haven't already seen, so new people and new places will appear as nothing."

"Right." Fai did so. When he first looked at the first mirror nothing happened, then he ran his fingers across the glass. It began to play.

It looked strange. There was Kurogane and himself, walking, just walking. They wore cloaks that looked similar to Sakura's cloak, or Syaoran's cloak. He still had one eye, but the eye was a different color, it looked like he'd been fighting some battle recently for the color was gold. He was speaking to Kurogane. That was obvious. The man only nodded continously as they walked. Suddenly Fai reached out and grabbed at something, a doorknob maybe...

Fai pressed his fingers against the glass again and this scene stopped playing.

He moved to the other mirror and activated its scene the same way. The first thing he saw was his face...laughing. It was a lighthearted laugh and he pulled on someone's arm, pulling them into the scene. Kurogane. The black haired man seemed to yell at him as Fai gestured to something.

Kurogane looked at it and then the man smiled, a laugh coming to him as well as he pulled on Fai's shoulders. Fai allowed him to do this and was pulled back to Kurogane's chest as the man hugged him from behind.

It sunk in. Kurogane had two arms. Fai also had two eyes...only one of them was a different color! A yellow...or maybe a red, he was too far away to tell for sure...

Fai had to force himself to touch the glass again and stop the scene, he wanted to watch it forever...it looked like they were so happy...Kurogane...happy...Was it possible? They were utside of this world. Both scenes took place elsewhere, this meant that no matter what Kurogane would leave. Was it possible for him to be happy elsewhere? Or was it just a facade to try and convince someone else?

No. Kurogane wasn't like that! That was him, that was Fai. He hid things! Kurogane did not. Fai smiled as he thought on all the wonderful qualities that made him love Kurogane so much...and his being an open book was one of them. "I want it..."

"Want what?"

Fai didn't know which of his past selves spoke, but he answered the question no matter which one it was. "What was in the mirror. I want that happiness for him...for me." The blond bit his lip. "Is that...selfish?"

"Yes, but you know what? We don't care. We all know what we've been through, you deserve a moment of selfishness. Are you sure that is what you want?"

Fai nodded. "Oh yes...I...don't think I've ever been more sure of something."

"Then you have to work for it."

"I know. I will."


	13. Chapter 13

A//N: Well hope you enjoy this chapter as well, even though it's the shortest I've written for this story in a while. Rad and Review and I will see you all soon...well not see, but you get the point...

* * *

"May I?" The woman seemed to cower slightly under his gaze even though Fai's face was held in a gentle smile. After a moment of staring at his hair and eyes she nodded and moved aside. Fai knew that word had gotten through the castle that visitors from another world had arrived. This combined with the fact that it might have spread through the castle that he was an oni might have scared the woman. "Thank you." He bowed slightly before he slid the door open and walked inside.

It was Kurogane's room. "Um...please...be careful?" The scared woman said from the doorway and Fai smiled back at her giving a short nod. As the blond looked to the bed he heard the woman's footsteps running off.

He stared at the still form for a long minute before he finally sat down on his knees beside him. "Kurogane..." He closed his eye and laced his fingers together as if he were praying. "Kurogane."

His blood was potent. Fai was hungry, but had no desire to drink, still even though it made him want it more he breathed in the scent that was so strong through the ninja's skin. It told him that Kurogane was going to live. It told him that he was recovering quickly. It told him that soon, Kurogane would wake up.

Fai still did not know what he was going to say to Kurogane when he woke up. There were so many things that Fai could say to him. He could cry, he could yell, he could be silent, he could smile. So many options, yet none of them seemed right to him. He had so many mixed feelings. He was angry. He was angry that Kurogane had done such a thing for him, risking his own life and putting himself through pain and coma. Even though he was angry, he was also happy. Fai was happy that someone actually cared enough about him to do something like that for him. He matter to someone. He was confused. Fai didn't know why he cared, how much he cared, or what that caring meant...

So many emotions. They all filled his heart to the brim, so much in fact that he wondered how his body could contain them all without some sort of explosion.

Then there was also the future to think about. He had seen two possible futures, but there was no way to know how far down the road, or how long those futures would last. Still, he wanted at least the last one to happen. He wanted it almost as much as he had wanted to bring Fai back to life. He wanted it even though it might have only been a day in their lives. To see Kurogane smile like that...

If he wanted it, he had to work for it. He could not just sit and wait for it to come to him. If he did that it would never come. If he kept running away or even if he just stood still he'd never get what he wanted. He had to be like Syaoran. He had to be like Kurogane. He had to take life and fate head on and say it could and would be changed before his feet.

He had decided that yesterday as he'd sat in the room of mirrors, the only problem now was deciding what he was going to do to fight his fate. What was he going to do to get what he wanted?

"I do believe you are stable."

Fai's eye opened and he looked to the door. He smiled gently at Tomoyo who stood there in all her glory. "Am I?" She nodded. "Well, I have you to thank for that, now don't I?"

This time the princess shook her head. "No. All I did was help you see more clearly, you did the rest." She smiled and came forward to Fai, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Since you are now stable you can see Mokona."

Fai's smile widened. "Thank you...in fact, that's just what I need." The blond quickly got to his feet and went to the door. Once at the door he paused for a moment, looking back to Tomoyo. "Tomoyo-hime?"

"Yes Fai?"

"If he wakes up, and I'm not here...please send for me?"

"I'll have Souma fetch you."

"Thank you." Fai slid the door shut and walked on toward where he had been earlier told that Syaoran had been sleeping. He remembered Tomoyo saying that Mokona had been with him, and if Fai knew Mokona, the creature still hadn't left the boy's side.

He was correct. The moment he opened the door to where Syaoran was said to be sleeping he felt a small pressure at his chest. "Fai! Fai! You're okay!"

Fai's mouth curled slightly upward into a smile and he hugged Mokona gently, one hand going to the top of it and stroking it gently as if it were a cat or a dog. "Yes Mokona. I'm all right. Thank you for worrying about me."

"How could Mokona not worry?!" Mokona sniffed and snuggled closer to Fai's chest as if it were trying to dig its way into Fai's body so that there would never be any doubt about his condition ever again. "Mokona didn't know what happened to Fai after we were all taken away!"

"We're all fine. Even Kurogane...he should be waking up soon."

"Really?" Fai smiled down at Mokona and nodded. "That's wonderful Fai!"

"I know. However, can Mokona do me a big favor now? Before Kurogane wakes up?" Mokona nodded as best as it could and Fai continued. "I need you to contact Witch-san and then fall asleep...I wish to speak to her alone."

Mokona seemed to mumble worriedly to itself for a moment before the jewel shinned and the screen came up. "Fai?" Yuuko looked at the mage questioningly, waiting for him to speak.

For a minute Fai did not speak, he waited and waited until he was sure Mokona was fast asleep. "Yes Witch-san. I have a request. A real wish."

"Oh? What is so important or dangerous that you request that Mokona be asleep?"

Fai shook his head. "It's not the wish itself that is so dangerous, but the price I am willing to pay for it. I'm pretty sure Mokona and the others would not like it."

"What is your price?"

Fai took in a deep breath, it was hard for him to say, he'd always been so dependent on this thing, his life used to count on it, but now...He had so little of it left that it hardly mattered. He had another life force now, and he was willing to give this other thing up if it meant he got his wish. "The blue color in my right eye."

For a moment Yuuko was silent, and then she nodded. "All right. With that price, what is it that you wish?"

"I want Kurogane to have a left arm again."

"You do realize that it will not be his original arm?"

Fai nodded. "I do."

"All right. The price and wish are balanced. I will grant your wish Fai. Kurogane will get a new arm. I will want my payment when it arrives."

Fai bowed very slightly in her direction. "Thank you. It will be paid at that time."

As he stood straight he thought he saw Yuuko smile very faintly, but he figured it was a trick of the light. "I look forward to it. Have a good day."

"You too." The screen turned off and Fai sat on the edge of Syaoran's bed. He smiled slightly at Syaoran's sleeping form. He set Mokona down in the cradle that Syaoran's arms made. He knew that Mokona would wake up soon, but until then he would let the two sleep together.

Syaoran looked so peaceful. Fai wondered what he was dreaming of. Was he dreaming of Sakura? Was he dreaming of going home? Was it even pleasant? For all Fai knew it was a nightmare and it just didn't show on his face. Fai hoped that it wasn't a nightmare, the blond sincerely hoped that it was in fact a good dream. As much as Fai hoped this, there was no way to know, and even if Fai did know there was nothing he could do...

He stroked Syaoran's hair gently. Thinking over everything he came back onto what he was going to say to Kurogane when he woke up. He didn't have the faintest clue...he wished he could get a clue, but he really didn't feel like paying Yuuko for one. He had to figure it out for himself. He didn't have good confidence in his coming up with a good speech, however he did believe that whatever he ended up saying would be the right thing in the end...

Fai put his hand to his mouth as he yawned. Even though it was only early afternoon he hadn't slept he night before, rather he had paced around the castle trying to figure out everything he would and could do. After all, he had to fight for what he wanted. He couldn't throw his life away, he had to fight, he had to learn, he had many things he had to do...the most important of which was love. He had finally gotten a small plan, most of which he had just finished executing, but it would take a lot more than that before he was done fighting. He had to make the plan as he went...

Fai's eyes snapped open...he sat up. Had he fallen asleep? He rubbed his head and yawned...he must have. He supposed it was a good thing. He felt more refreshed, less hungry even. The vampire went to the window and pulled it open. It was rather hard for him to figure out how to do it, but he was pleased when he had.

A fresh breeze blew against his face. It was late at night and the wonderful smell of it just filled him...it smelled wonderful. It was full of wildflowers, fresh air, other greenery, scents that places far away carried to here. It was so calming. "Fai."

The youngling smiled slightly. "Souma?"

"He's awake. Princess Tomoyo says that you can see him after she's done."

Fai's eye grew wide and he instantly leaned back inside the building and shut the window. He turned around and bowed to Souma taking in a deep breath as if he were unsure that he was ready for this. "Thank you." The blond didn't wait for a response as he ran past her and toward where he knew Kurogane's room was. He didn't even know what he was going to say. He didn't know what was going to happen, but he wanted to be by Kurogane's side. He wanted to be there...he didn't want Kurogane to be alone. No. That wasn't quite correct. He didn't want Kurogane to be without him.

Fai's footsteps faltered when he got close to the room. He began to walk and when he got to the door he heard Tomoyo's voice talking to Kurogane. He closed his eye and stood by the door for a minute, not wanting to disturb the probably meaningful conversation. After all, Tomoyo was the most important person to Kurogane...

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting. You can come in now." Fai wasn't terribly surprised that she had known that he was there. The blond reached out and pulled the door more open before he walked in. He looked up slightly to the person he wanted to see more than anything.

Kurogane's face seemed to be blank. He just stared up at Fai, and when Fai didn't say anything he spoke one word. "Hey."

Fai knew he needed to do or say something, but his mind didn't know what to do or say...so he did the first thing that came to his mind... He drew back one hand and his other fisted as he brought it right down on Kurogane's head, driving the man right back into the curtains of his bed. Fai smiled, but was also slightly shocked, he hadn't known that he had the strength to hit Kurogane that hard. Even his mouth spoke on its own. "That's payback Kuro-sama." Kurogane was always telling him he'd hit Fai if he did something stupid. So why shouldn't Fai hit Kurogane if Kurogane did something stupid?

A larger smile curled his lips, it was a real smile. As idiotic as Kurogane's actions of cutting his arm off for Fai were, Fai was glad he'd done it. It had made him who he was, and they were both here, alive and well. It didn't stop him from being suddenly so very angry at Kurogane for risking his life like that and making him worry.

"Bastard! I'll kill you for that!" They both seemed to glare flames at each as if they were rivals. For over a minute they stayed like this until Tomoyo giggled and said that she'd leave the two alone.

Fai's eyes broke the staring contest smiling brightly at Tomoyo and bowing as she left the room before his piercing gaze turned back to Kurogane. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself? Why the hell did you disobey me again?! If you had died we both would have died and it all would have been for nothing!"

"You really want to know why I couldn't leave you there?"

"Yes."

Kurogane reached out with his only hand and grabbed at Fai's arm, pulling him forward, almost as if he didn't want Fai to get away. He held him as close as he could. Fai didn't fight the actions only staring at Kurogane's face with determination. "I figured that if I could get rid of my arm for a possibility of us both surviving, I'd rather take that chance then go on without you."

Fai frowned. "Why?"

"You've said several times that you love me. Well it's my turn." Kurogane leaned as close to Fai's face as he could. Fai could feel him breathe out the next words onto his lips. "I love you."


	14. Chapter 14

A//N: Well. Here's the last chapter in the main part of the story, and it's shorter than the last one! I suppose that's really because it's just a nice little ending to the story...

The next and last two chapters should be fairly long...at least 3000 words each I'm hoping. Like I said, those two chapters will be chapters based on the scenes in the future mirrors. They won't be based exactly on the scenes themselves, but more on the world that they are in. You know, who they are in the world, what they do, how they live...

At any rate, read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

Fai stood in complete shock. Had he really just heard those words? Yes, yes he had. Why had he heard those words? After all it couldn't be real. A dream. Yes, that was it. He was still in Syaoran's room fast asleep and this was all a dream. A wonderful and highly realistic dream, but still a dream. 

Fai was brought out of these thoughts as Kurogane's hand moved off his arm and went to his the back of Fai's head, pulling him ever so slightly forward so that their lips actually touched.

The blond's heart rate went through the roof when that happened. He could really feel Kurogane kissing him...not like the man had kissed him in Infinity either...he could feel the warmth. It was so real...it wasn't a dream.

Once he realized that it really was real another emotion rose up in Fai's chest. That emotion completely took over Fai's body and caused him to pull back from Kurogane even if his heart told him to stay there and kiss back. The emotion that took over Fai was fear.

Kurogane frowned at the blond. "What's wrong?" He studied Fai's face for a moment and it seemed like he understood almost at once. He frowned even deeper and reached out for Fai even though he was just out of the ninja's grasp. "Idiot mage...Have I not proven more than anyone else that I will not leave you alone? I'll make you happy." He paused. "I'll make us happy."

For a moment Fai continued to be still before a slightly shaky hand reached out and gripped to Kurogane's hand. He was right. Kurogane had proven more than anyone else in his life that he would not leave him alone. In fact he had proven that even if Fai wanted to be alone that Kurogane would be there.

Kurogane pulled him forward again, this time pulling him so far forward that Fai was forced into a kneeling position on the edge of the bed. "And I'm not lying." Kurogane added with a very serious look. "I do love you."

"I love you too." Fai whispered in a barely audible tone before he leaned forward and kissed Kurogane very gently on the lips. He could feel his own smile widen involuntarily when the ninja kissed back. For a long minute they stayed like that before Kurogane pulled back, his arm wrapping around Fai's waist to pull him as close as he could. Fai rested his head on Kurogane's shoulder and just stayed there, his eye closing and his face contented.

There was silence in the room as they sat there. With the emotion of fear gone, Fai would have been willing to stay like that until he died, but at long last Kurogane broke the silence. "We should sleep."

"Hmmm..." Fai turned his head so that he could see Kurogane's face. "Why? Truthfully we both woke up not too long ago."

"You and I both know that this peace won't last long. We should be rested and ready for when it breaks."

Fai frowned into the ninja's neck. He disliked the idea, but he knew that Kurogane was right. Peace wouldn't last and soon danger would come. "You're right..." Fai pulled away from the embrace. "I'll see you in the morning."

Kurogane reached out as Fai went to stand up, holding onto a single piece of his yellow hair. "Sleep with me?" He tugged on the piece of hair gently as if to show Fai how much he wanted Fai to stay.

"Can't you do anything by yourself?" Fai teased with a small smile. "I swear, you need to me to follow you everywhere."

Kurogane smirked. "The same can be said about you. Besides, it just shows how much I care." Fai sat back down on the bed and the ninja let go of his hair.

Fai watched as Kurogane lay down. It took a moment longer than it probably would have if he had both arms, but it seemed okay. Fai's gentle smile returned to his face as he lay down as well. "Good night Kuro-sama."

"Good night Fai."

* * *

When Fai opened his eyes he noticed that he was in bed alone. This did not bother him at all until he remembered that he had not fallen asleep alone. Where was Kurogane? The blond sat straight up in bed looking around the room until his eyes landed on the ninja standing silently in the corner. "Something wrong?" 

Fai shook his head slightly, placing his hand at his forehead from feeling the effects of sitting up too fast. "No, I just...didn't know where you were..." The blond stood to his feet coming over to where Kurogane stood. "You should still be resting. You're not quite completely healed..."

Kurogane held out his wrist to Fai. "You should be drinking, you're far to thin to be at full strength."

Fai laughed slightly. "I've always been thin."

"You're more thin than usual. It doesn't have to much Fai, but drink. You need it to survive...we don't know how long you can last without drinking and I'm not going to let it go on long enough to find out."

Fai stared at the wrist and his hunger panged within him as he was reminded of the scent that was potent to him even through skin. "Neither of us have a blade..."

"So?"

"So I'll have to use my fangs..."

"Better than starving to death."

Fai sighed, that was true. Of course for Fai the only problem with using his fangs was that the effect of it made him want to drink Kurogane dry... "All right, but pull away if you think I'm taking too much." With a slight nod from Kurogane Fai took the wrist tenderly in his hand and brought it to his lips. He was not so gentle when he bit in. He knew that if he was not quick it would hurt. The last thing Fai wanted to do was to hurt Kurogane.

The mage resisted sound when he tasted the liquid in his mouth and drank deeply, for only a mere moment forgetting that he was drinking blood and not something like wine. Once he remembered this he slowed down, gradually stopping all his drinking before he forced himself to pull away his eye meeting Kurogane's eyes when he did. "I doubt that did anything for my condition of being 'too thin.'"

"Probably not." Kurogane agreed. "We should go and eat 'real food.' Come on now Mage." The ninja took Fai's wrist with his hand and walked forward pulling the blond along with him as he swiftly left the room.

* * *

"I'm not eating that...not if I have a choice!" As Kurogane and Fai walked they seemed to be aruging over Fai's consumption of a small object. It seemed to be something raw, which was probably why Fai objected to it so vehemently. After all Fai disliked things like sushi. 

"You need to eat more."

"I'll eat grass before I eat that..."

"Oni-san!" Fai turned to see the children from before run up to him with their big shining eyes and huge grins. The conversation about Fai's eating habits immediately left his mind and a calm, kind smile came to his face.

"Oni-san?" Kurogane repeated the name with what seemed to be a laugh behind his voice.

At Kurogane's chuckling tone Fai elbowed the man in the ribs. The nudge wasn't hard enough to hurt, but enough to get the meaning across. "Yes children?"

"Are you okay? We didn't see you for over a day! Oni like you are usually really easy to spot!"

Fai chuckled kneeling down to their height and running his fingers through one's hair. "Don't worry. I was fine. See this man here?" The children nodded as Fai pointed back to Kurogane. "I had to go adventuring with him yesterday. We're partners you see. In exchange for him not killing me on the spot I go around with him and help him to identify oni that are a threat to this fine country."

"Really?"

Fai brought his hand down on Kurogane's foot to once again keep the man from speaking. "Of course. I think we're getting close. Soon you'll be safe for a very long time."

"You really are a kind-hearted oni, Oni-san."

"His name's Fai."

The children looked at Kurogane. "Fai?"

"Yes Fai. Call him by his name."

"Fai-san?"

"Yes."

Fai sighed at Kurogane's attitude, but Kurogane was particular about names. Fai supposed that was his own fault. "Yes. My name is Fai...but if you want I give you all permission to keep calling me Oni-san."

"That's okay. Fai-san is good! So, are you okay Fai-san? Fai-san's friend-san?"

"I'm Kurogane..."

"Kurogane-san?" To this the ninja just smiled.

"We're both fine for now." Fai said with his own smile. "But we both really need to get going so we can prepare for the next trip. This next one will be very important, so we want to want to make sure that we don't mess up." He poked a child's nose before he stood to his full height.

"Okay Fai-san! Kurogane-san! Good luck!" Fai waved the children off as they turned to leave once again and the two men began to walk onward.

"You'd make a good mother."

"What was that?" Fai gritted his teeth slightly in annoyance. Sure he'd called himself Mommy...or rather Mokona had, but that was a joke, and Kurogane sounded strangely serious.

"You'd make a good mother."

"I'm not a woman Kuro-sama."

Fai could just feel the smirk on Kurogane's face burn into the side of his head. "I know, but it's true. I'm not trying to insult you, but you are very motherly. Lying, yet not lying to those children...comforting them and giving them gentle, but loving touches even though you hardly knew them. I'm surprised they could call you an oni...They have been brought up to know that no oni is good."

Fai sighed slightly. "If I'd make a good mother in return you'd make a good father...not from how you've treated those children, but from Sakura and Syaoran...you protect them...you protect your family, just like a father would...or what I think a father would..."

As if Kurogane felt the pain that Fai was going to feel he placed his hand on Fai's shoulder and squeezed it. "If your father had lived, I have no doubt he would have never allowed that to happen to you and your brother Yuui." Fai's body tensed upon hearing his true name, but Kurogane continued anyway. "I think your parents loved you very much Yuui. I believe that if they had been alive that you would have been happy."

"What do you mean would have been?" Fai chuckled softly, deep in his throat. "I am happy...I'm wanted. I'm not the person I thought I was...I'm loved." Fai turned around and pulled the man into a deep kiss. "You love me."

"Yes I do. Now, I have a question for you Yuui."

"Yes?"

"Can you play the game?"

Fai bit back a smile as he buried his head into Kurogane's shoulder. His mind went to the arm that would soon be coming for his light. He thought of the futures he could have if he fought for them. He thought of all the ways he was going to fight for them. He nodded. "Yes. I can play the game."


	15. Chapter 15

A//N: This is the first of the Mirror chatpers. Both chapters will come in two parts like this one and although I really feel like I could/should have expanded on this chapter I'm glad I'm leaving it where it is...it lets you imagine what else they're doing and so on and so forth.

I think I did pretty well on this chapter considering it was giving me major problems when I was writing it.

Anyway, read, review, enjoy.

* * *

Clow part one:

* * *

A hand shook Fai's shoulder and Fai groaned slightly his eyes closing even tighter even though he couldn't see anything against the pillow anyway as he stretched his body out. The palms of his hands hit against the wall and pushed him farther down his bed. These actions forced a yawn out the blond and this yawn was sadly interrupted by someone ever so gently sliding a finger up the side of Fai's stomach. "Mneeek!" The blond's eyes...yes eyes...snapped open and then turned to the side of his bed as chuckling was heard.

"That is probably the cutest sound I've ever heard you make...including your cute sobs." Kurogane looked at Fai critically as if the mage were a piece of art to be judged and hung on a wall.

Fai turned his head back to the pillow. "Mention my 'cute' sobs again and I will harm you...ack!" Fai curled into a small ball as Kurogane repeated the action of sliding his finger up his side.

"No falling asleep again."

"Kuro-sama...what time is it?"

"About noon."

"Eh, I can sleep for another hour or so..." Fai's tone was joking as the blond pulled the blankets that covered his body off of him and stood to his feet. "Do you remember our agreement?"

Kurogane nodded slightly, "Yeah. You go buy food and I will go buy us clothes that don't stick out so much. It shouldn't be hard."

Fai sighed slightly, "No...Not in the country of Clow."

Kurogane raised an eyebrow at this attitude, and the ninja crossed his arms. "Is Fai still sore?"

Fai's yellow and blue eyes both stared at Kurogane as if he were insane for asking such a question. "I am not sore. I just think it's a little ridiculous..." Fai looked down toward the ground as he pulled on one of his two boots.

Kurogane raised his other eyebrow and pulled Fai's face up so that it looked at his. "Not about the people of Clow. I know your opinion about that. You like how nice they are...no...I'm asking if you're still sore."

"Sore about wha--"

"Fai! Didn't we agree to not hide things?"

Fai smiled sadly. "Right...sorry..." He closed his eyes. "Yes...I didn't want it..." He placed his hand over the eye that was blue and opened the yellow one looking toward the ground even though his face was being held in such a fashion that he couldn't look down to the ground properly.

"Yes you did...You wanted that eye back so much...I know." Kurogane placed his hand over Fai's own. "You wanted to be free of vampirism, you wanted to be free of feeding off me, but you didn't want the kid to give it up when it could kill him...but he's okay. It's all okay."

"But it might not have been..."

"Yuui..." Fai looked up to Kurogane now knowing that when the man called him by his real name that he was serious. "Don't think about might have been...only think of what is and what might be. Everything's okay."

Fai shook his head slightly. "Not quite."

Kurogane raised an eyebrow yet again. "What's not right in this world? It's so peaceful and quiet. You love that."

"It may be right for me...but you want to get back to your home in Nihon." Fai smiled. He knew that Kurogane ultimately wanted to go back and be a ninja for Tomoyo. It was the life he loved and wanted. The mage knew this so well that shock obviously came to his face when he heard the words that came next.

"You're wrong."

"What?"

"I said; you're wrong."

"How am I wrong? Do you not want to go back to Nihon?! Have I been fooled by you this entire time? Are you not the person I thought you were?"

Kurogane shhed Fai and put his hand over his lips to silence him in case he wasn't listening. "No. I do want to go back to Nihon. You only had one word wrong in that entire statement." He checked Fai's eyes for acknowledgment before he leaned down. "The word you said wrong was 'your.'"

"I don't understand." Fai said against his fingers.

"It's not just my home I want to go to...I want us to return to our home in Nihon."

Kurogane could feel Fai's body relax and yet tense in confusion. "O-o-our home?"

Kurogane leaned back away from Fai. "Do you not like the sound of that? Our home in Nihon? Would you rather not be with me?"

"N-no! J-just...I don't see how it's my home as well..."

Kurogane sighed and gently brushed his lips against Fai's to try and calm him. "It's your home because I want it to be, and because you seemed to like it there. The point is that I want you to be with me...or else it's not my home. You're essential to my home being my home. Do you understand?" He placed his hand on top of Fai's head, ruffling the blond tussles of hair in a childlike manner.

Fai smiled and nodded softly. He chuckled. "Pretty words."

"Perhaps, but you liked them."

"Yes...I did."

Kurogane stood to his full height and pulled Fai to his feet as well, one hand remained gripping to Fai's arm while the other, a gloved hand reached out and took a long beige cloak from the bedpost of Fai's bed. "You take off that overcoat and put this on before you go out now; it's still hot out there." Kurogane let go of Fai at last and went over to his own bed taking a black cloak with a blue pattern around the edges and pulled it on over his own clothes.

Fai chuckled as he obeyed. "You know...I'm starting to feel like a child, being treated as if I don't even know what the weather outside will be..."

"If you don't like it, I'll stop."

"I never said I disliked it...I just said I felt like a child." Fai opened a drawer and pulled out a pouch. He took a few coins from the pouch, counted them out and handed the pouch to Kurogane. "There. You'll obviously be needed more money than me for clothes."

"Right." Kurogane took the pouch, it and his hand disappeared under the folds of his cloak.

"So, I'll meet you in the center of the market place in an hour?" Fai's grin was greatly contrasted by Kurogane's frown.

"Not yet."

"Why not yet?"

Kurogane took an apple from a bowl and dropped it into Fai's hands. "You're not a vampire anymore. You need to eat regularly, not just when it's appropriate for the situation or when you're trying to see how long you can last."

Fai chuckled his eyes closed and he grinned. "Right, sorry Kuro-sama." The mage brought the apple to his lips and bit down into it his eyes opened ever so slightly so that he could watch Kurogane's expression all the while he ate the piece of fruit.

When he was finished he carefully discarded the core, he had to look around the room outside for he wasn't quite sure where everything was yet. He tugged on Kurogane's arm bringing him to the door. "So...middle of the market place in an hour?"

"Yes. I'll meet you there." Kurogane leaned down and took Fai's lips for a moment before heading out the door. "And lick your lips! I can taste the apple!"

"I don't think other people are going to notice that..." Fai commented in a tone that Kurogane wouldn't be able to hear as he closed the door himself placing a hand in front of his mouth as he obeyed his light's order anyway.

Fai wandered around the market place pausing often to look at the various products that were for sale. It took almost the entire hour but he finally began to get frustrated by Clow's kindness. The people saw his cloak or the clothes he wore underneath and tried to just give him things because well...he was special or he was just getting started in this world and obviously needed help.

It wasn't that Fai didn't appreciate being helped or something like that, it was that...well...he had the money to pay and these people needed to eat too. The mage didn't like the idea that he was getting something for free while these people needed the money to eat and buy things themselves.

"Please?"

"No, take the money..."

"Please?"

"No..."

"Are you sure?"

"No, wait I mean, ye--ack!" A bag was shoved into Fai's arms and no matter how much Fai begged the woman wouldn't take any money. Fai glared at the pears he had just been given despite his attempts to give the woman behind the stand money.

He mumbled something to himself and looked up at the sun. He estimated that it was just about time for him to head off to the center of the market place to meet up with Kurogane. He picked up the bags of the things he had 'bought' and went quickly off to that place they had agreed on.

He only had to wait a couple minutes before a hand firmly gripped to his shoulder and a pleasantly familiar voice spoke. "You seem bothered by something."

Fai shook his head and turned to look at the man. "It's nothing really...just I've been having a hard time getting people to accept money for their produce..."

"You know Fai...aren't people supposed to haggle for a lower price, not a higher price?"

Fai sighed. "Usually yes, but this is the one occasion that this is not the case. I don't want to get everything for free. How did clothes shopping go?"

"I got clothes, but they insisted in giving them to me for free."

Fai's eyes went wide. "What?! That's ridiculous! Clothes are way more expensive than food! You can't be serious--" Fai's voice faltered as he looked at Kurogane's face. "You're teasing me aren't you?"

Kurogane smirked and nodded his head ever so slightly, "A little."

Fai frowned. "I'm serious...it's just a little bit ridiculous that they're still doing this...we've been here for over a week."

Kurogane shook his head, wrapped his arm around Fai's shoulder and started to walk back toward their house. "As we saw when he first came here in the time loop, these people are extremely kind. They're selfless because the kingdom is so peaceful. They just want us to be happy and well...you're thinking way too much into the topic Mage. I'm sure it'll stop once news gets around that one or both of us has a job."

Fai seemed to think on this before he sighed in defeat and leaned against Kurogane as they walked. "You're probably right...and then I can pay the people back for their food I got today."

Kurogane laughed, "Maybe, if they'll accept it."

* * *

Clow part Two:

* * *

"Here." A young blond man offered a ball to a young girl as he picked it up from the ground. "You dropped this."

"Thank you!" The girl smiled brightly at the blond but seemed to shrink away when she noticed a larger black haired man behind him.

"Hm?" The blond turned and laughed. "Oh. Him. Don't worry about him, he looks big and threatening, but he's really just a big, cuddly puppy."

"Yuui..." The larger man growled this out in a dangerous tone, but the blond seemed to completely ignore him.

"Really, he won't harm you." The girl didn't seem convinced as she still shrunk away from the man and mumbled another thank you before running off to continue her game with her friends. There was a moment of silence before one of them spoke. "Kuro-sama always scares the children off with his mean stare." Fai sighed out in his teasing tone as he stood up to his full height and pulling a messenger bag up over his shoulder. "He should really learn to show his softer under side to other people."

"I know how, I just don't. Why should I? I highly doubt that I'll ever see that girl again, or if I do I most certainly won't be talking to her."

Fai gave a sound that was between a sigh and a chuckle as the pair continued on forward. "But Kuro-sama doesn't even let his guard down around most of the people he does speak to on a regular basis. I'm sure a lot of the people you talk to would love to see your soft underbelly."

"Keep it up Mage...I'm going to start showing it even less if you keep talking."

Fai completely turned around with a very childish and probably idiotic look on his face, "Kuro-sama is making it sound like he doesn't like it when I talk about the side he shows only to me when we're--" Fai's words abruptly stopped when Kurogane grabbed a bucket of water from the booth they were passing by and turned it over above Fai's head causing the blond to get very soaked very quickly. "Alone..." Fai shook his head back and forth causing droplets of water to splish splash everywhere.

"Sorry." Kurogane placed the bucket back on the booth where the woman was staring at them both in a fashion that might suggest that the pair were insane. "Sun stroke, he needed to be cooled off." The ninja reached into the folds of his cloak and a few seconds later offered the woman a couple of small coins. The woman gingerly took them and went to refill the bucket with water as Kurogane looked back to Fai. "You were saying?"

"Sun stroke...Kuro-sama is so mean..." Fai pretended to pout as he wrung out the edges of his cloak and the clothes underneath. "Although it did feel very refreshing..." He now chuckled. "Come on Kuro-sama, we have to hurry now or you won't get to your job on time!"

"And whose fault would that be?"

Fai placed his hand to his chest in an almost royal way as he turned around on his heel, "You're not trying to blame this on me, are you? If Kuro-sama would just admit that he has a nice underbelly that likes to be rubbed every once in a while..."

"Yuui!" Fai made a squeaking noise and bolted down the center of the marketplace while Kurogane ran after him. Kurogane knew that Fai was acting very much like a child today, and he knew that he was acting very much like he was under the mask today, but he wasn't really. By now he knew that Fai knew that Kurogane would just slap the mask off if he tried to wear it. No...Fai just wanted to play. He wanted to be a child, and this was the only way he knew how. So Kurogane would play along. Besides, this would get him to his job quickly. "Get back here!"

"Kuro-sama has to catch me first!"

The pair weaved in and out of the small crowd that was slowly gathering in the market place, and as usual people turned to stare at them. Despite the fact that they had been there for a little over a year and the fact that they wore the proper clothes for that world the mage and ninja stuck out among them. Fai's hair was too light for most people here, and his different colored eyes attracted gazes. Kurogane's hair was too dark for most of the people, and his single gloved hand would attract attention when he held both hands out in the open.

Also behavior like this did not help them to blend in...

"Mage!"

"Puppy!"

They went on like this for about five minutes until Fai abruptly stopped and Kurogane crashed into him causing them both to fall onto the ground. "Ouch. Kuro-sama's heavy..."

"Shut up, you're just too light." Kurogane pushed himself up to his feet and the pulled Fai up by the back of his collar as if the blond were a kitten. "You okay?"

Fai nodded as his hands patted down his clothes, brushing off all the dust that had gotten on them from the fall. "I'm okay! You?"

"I'm peachy."

Fai smiled one of his very real smiles and chuckled deep in his throat, "Good. Glad to hear it." The mage reached up and wrapped his arms around the ninja's neck before kissing the other's lips very gently and once he felt the return kiss he pulled away. "Have a good day at work."

"You too."

"I will. Now, don't get hurt, especially not by nailing your thumb to a piece of wood and don't fall off the roof."

"Do you take me for some kind of idiot?"

Fai's smile turned to a grin. "And remember that you need to come home early today. Sakura-chan wants to see us."

"Right."

"Now, like I said be, careful and have fun!"

Kurogane raised an eyebrow, "It's not preschool...I'm not here to have fun."

Fai ignored this comment completely, "I'll see you later today." The blond briskly walked past the other and almost instantly disappeared among the other people in the market place. While Kurogane worked on fixing homes and building other things for people, Fai ran a small booth in the market, he sold trinkets and charms, magic potions and very rarely he would sell food of various sorts. It didn't bring in a whole lot of money but Kurogane let him do it, because Fai seemed to truly enjoy doing those things.

The man opened the door to the house that he was currently working on and closed it behind him as he went off to work on fixing the things that needed to be fixed in this house.

Kurogane liked to think that they were happy here. He loved to watch Fai smile and joke, and mean those smiles and jokes. He loved it all, and even though he still wanted for them to return to Nihon and live the rest of their lives there, for a bit longer he was content to stay in Clow and watch Fai truly heal like he had wished for in the first place.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Last chapter. Neither of the mirror chapters turned out how I wanted them to, but that's okay, I still think they turned out all right.

I'd like to thank all my readers and reviewers for reading and reviewing this story. Truthfully without you this story would have never gotten finished.

Even though it's the last chapter I still want you to read, review, and enjoy.

* * *

Zeit- Part One: 

* * *

"What's that?" Kurogane pulled on Fai's arm making the blond stop walking. Kurogane didn't look very different than he might of in many of the other worlds. His hair hadn't changed, he wore the typical style and colors of clothes that he always did. In fact you might have thought that he was back in the Hanshin Republic if it weren't for a black glove that he wore over his left hand.

"What's what?" Fai on the other hand looked very different. He had cut his hair, but it was still longer than it had been for most of their journey. He wore black pants and a light blue sweater. He wore jewelry, lots of it. Bracelets and rings mostly, but around his neck there was a necklace that if you looked closely looked exactly like his staff had looked. It was hard to tell if he had two eyes or not for his blond locks fell in front of where the right eye was, but since he had a blue left eye it was obvious that he was once again intact.

"It's on your ear..."

"My earrings? You know I wear them Kuro-sama..."

"Yes, but it looks different...you pierced your ear again!" Kurogane grabbed and pulled harshly on the ear in question. Fai made a sound that clearly indicated pain and tried to pry his hand off. 

"If you've figured that out don't pull on it! It'll get infected! Do you want that?" A couple of people on the busy city streets would pause to look at the pair, but would quickly walk on, it was almost rush hour and they didn't have time to gaze on a pair of strange people.

After a moment Kurogane let go of Fai's ear and the blond sucked his teeth as hemassaged the spot carefully. Fai had now pierced his ear five times. Each hole had a small stud in it that had a different colored jewel in each one. Red for Kurogane, pink for Sakura, green for Syaoran, white for Mokona, and purple for Yuuko. "Ouch...Kuro-sama is so harsh..."

Kurogane tsked, pushed Fai's hand away from the blond's ear, and very quickly, as if he were afraid of being seen he leaned over and kissed the spot before pulling back. "I'm sorry, okay? I just don't like you piercing your ear so much. No matter what the reason for it is."

Fai placed his fingers to the spot where he had felt Kurogane's lips a moment before. His face showed of shock and then it melted into a happy smile. "Kuro-sama may be harsh, but Kuro-sama is also very sweet."

"Shut up you idiot Mage." Kurogane looked away from Fai. Fai couldn't see his face, but ifhe had to guess he would say that Kurogane was looking away to hide the blush that his words had caused.

Fai reached out and took Kurogane's hand and pulled on it gently. "Come on now, home now." 

They walked forward hand in hand. Actually, it more like Fai held onto Kurogane's hand and Kurogane just let Fai do this. Fai understood the reasoning behind that. Kurogane was still a tough guy no matter how many years passed or how many worlds they visited. He had an image to keep up. Fai used to have an image to keep up with, but he no longer tried to do that and just did as he pleased. He changed his style about once a month and pierced his ears to keep track of time. One hole for each year. 

"Look Kuro-sama! We're here!" Fai smiled and pointed to a door with a grin that made him look like an emo-kid wannabe. He got no real reaction from Kurogane and he opened the door to a two-story store. 

As they walked in, Fai swept his hair out of his right eye and revealed the golden colored eye that lay underneath. Fai hid his oddly colored eye when he went out of the house for two reasons. One was that he was a well known wizard, painter, and writer in this world and as such manypeople recognized him. The other reason was that if the people didn't recognize him they noticed the strange color of his eye and asked about it. Fai found it simpler to just hide his eye and half his face underneath his hair. "You going to run the store for a couple hours?"

"Yeah." At first it didn't really sink in what kind of store the pair stood in, but then you started to notice the katana's and different kinds of weapons behind the glass. This was Kurogane's weapon shop. It was something that he had started out of pure interest. After all Kurogane was a ninja at heart. The weapons were carefully crafted and bought. When they got here they were enchanted by Fai, andplaced in these glass cabinets that seemed to glitter like magic... 

That was the downstairs. Upstairs was the living area and Fai's studio. Up there Fai would spend many hours of the day writing or painting. They ate up there and slept up there. It was all light and calm, modern but yet old fashioned at the same time...

This was their home in the world of Zeit. Zeit was a world that was said to be the hell or underworld of another world, but neither Kurogane or Fai could understand what was so bad about Zeit. It was a world that held a lot of magic and sorcery so people like Fai were not uncommon. It was also technologically advanced, almost to the point of being like Piffle in some ways. It was said to be filled with demons and oni, but those people that were called thatlooked like other people and the only difference was that a naturalelement influenced their magic.

The people here were open-minded. They mostly smiled and spoke to you. Odd couples such as Fai and Kurogane were not uncommon or were actually very common. They were ruled by a man who was said to be a little younger than Fai had been when he started to travel. This ruler was also said to be a very powerful magician of darkness, but the world only seemed to become lighter and brighter, not darker. The world was peaceful, hardly a hell.

"Have fun with the store Kuro-sama."

"You heading upstairs?"

Fai nodded. "Yep."

"Are we going to go back out today?"

Fai paused and looked back to his lover. "I don't know. Are we?"

After a minute of nothing Kurogane nodded. "Yeah. I want to take you out."

Fai grinned and nodded. "All right. I'll go shower and I'll write for a couple hours. Have fun down here."

"I will. Check on the Pork Bun while you're upstairs."

"I will." Since the time they gone to the suspended time in Clow, Mokona had been unable to hop from world to world at a constant rate like it used to be able to. Mokona now had to recharge. Which was why Fai and Kurogane had been in this world for years. They knew that Mokona had enough magic to world jump now, but they wanted to wait, just in case the next world they landed in wasn't as peaceful as Zeit.

Kurogane watched as Fai went on up the stairs and then looked in his window. He pulled up the shades and turned over a small sign that said 'closed' so that it now read 'open.' The shop was as neat as a pin, so the ninja didn't need to do anything else before going to stand behind a counter and wait to see if people would come in.

As always people came in and out of the store, but very rarely did he sell anything but the strange products that Fai had suggested he sell up front. Kurogane passed this off as people not knowing quality when they saw it. Fai, on the other hand, passed this off as people not being willing to pay for weapons that Fai had enchanted to not kill people under most conditions. Secretly Kurogane thought that Fai was probably right, but he would never admit it.

Kurogane watched as two girls entered the shop and looked around it in distaste. This was about the time that Kurogane really started to get annoyed. These girls weren't here for the shop at all. Instead, they had somehow gotten word that Fai the wizard lived here and wanted to see him... "If you're not here to even consider buying something please leave..." The please was a recent addition to Kurogane's speech. After three years Fai had finally convinced him that customers responded in a better manner if you used that word...

"Ah, we're sorry. We're looking for someone..."

"Who?" Kurogane cursed to himself as he heard the door in the backside of the shop open and the blond came out of it.

"Fai D. Flourite."

"Yes?" Fai immediately regretted answering to his name being called once he realized what exactly he'd answered to.

The girls looked to him and then ran up in front of him and started asking him about a thousand questions a second. From what Kurogane could hear they asked questions about his books, about his art, and about his magic. This couldn't be good. Fai looked like a cornered rat as he leaned back against the door as flat as he could. "Um...um...help?" The blond's eyes carefully glanced over at Kurogane as much as he allow himself to.

The ninja sighed and walked over pulling on their collars and turning them to face him. "This is not a store for asking him questions! If you want to speak with him write him a letter, or go talk to him during his time at the art center on Wednesday and Thursday, but do _not_ interrupt his private life!"

"But!"

"No! Out! We're closed!" As Kurogane made sure that the girls found their way out of the store he heard Fai slide to the floor and a small whimpering noise came from his lips.

"I hate that..."

"I don't blame you...but you're the one that somehow became 'well known.'" The red-eyed man looked back to the blond. "You ready to go?"

Fai lightly nodded and pushed himself up to his feet and his long fingers reached up in front of his eye and pulled a good portion of his sunshine coloredhair down in front of the golden eye. 

Kurogane chuckled, "Sometimes I wonder if you do that just because you're ashamed that you gave up your magic for my arm."

Fai gasped as if insulted. "Don't say that! That was one of my proudest moments! You know very well why I do that, and it has nothing to do with that. Don't even joke about that Kuro-sama!" Fai pouted and folded his arms.

The ninja shook his head. "Come on, let's go. I think after those girls we both need to relax..."

Fai's pout faded away and he gave a half smile as hecame up beside Kurogane. "So where are we going?"

"One of your favorite places. A place where you can drink." Fai grinned and laughed silently as they walked out the door and onto the croweded streets of Zeit once more.

* * *

Zeit-Part Two: 

* * *

"Could you two stop making out so I can talk to you?" Two pairs of eyes widened and the pair instantly pulled away from each other. Fai threatened to fall back onto the floor, but Kurogane caught the back of his head before it happened.A pair of mismatched colored eyes looked to the person behind them.

Fai frowned. "Keita-san?"

"Who?"

"A magician in this world..." Fai slid slowly down onto the floor and tried to make it seem like Keita had not seen what, what he had seen. "Apparently the magician's in this world never learn to knock..."

Keita waved his hand dramatically and impatiently. Fai had always thought that Keita had a very Kurogane-like attitude most of the time, but if they were talking about looks...Keita looked like Sakura in a full grown, male body. He had that red-brown hair that came down just below his ears and wide eyes that had that glazed look to them, and in his own way he was pretty. "I did knock Fai, you just didn't hear me."

"I thought you said that you had wards up in this place to keep people out." Kurogane looked down to Fai with a raised eyebrow.

Fai nodded in agreement to the statement. "I do, but Keita's that kind of magician that can avoid them...he's slippery, like a ninja." Fai smiled up at Kurogane who simply ignored the comment about his profession.

"Actually I just took them down...even if you're the strongest magical fighter currently in this world, you're defense spells are still weaker than mine. If you would come to meetings more often, I'm sure we could work on that..."

"Keita-san...I'm not going to be in this world forever, coming to the meetings but once a year is pointless." Fai sighed and closed his eyes in slight annoyance. Keita was really a kind person, but he was a workaholic. He had about three jobs that he was constantly running to. To him almost everything was business and sometimes that also meant perfection. "What do you need me for?"

"Not much really. In fact nothing at all. I just wantto warn you. There are a few youngling vampires out and around. I know you used to be one of them, but these ones don't have E's to control them. You didn't get the full horror of being a youngling."

"Keita-san. Don't tell me what horror I did and did not get. Don't worry, both Kuro-sama and I can hold ourselves against a youngling. Especially ones that haven't been trained. In fact I'll be so kind as to bring them into the office if I run across any."

"All right. I wouldn't want you to be caught off guard."

"We won't. Thank you."

Keita spared them a small smile. "All right. I'll leave you be then."

"Keita. Repair my spells on your way out. I didn't waste two days of energy on them for nothing."

"I'll do that. Good day." 

Keita disappeared from their view and Fai sighed sinking his head against his knees, not looking at Kurogane. "The moment is completely ruined isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Damn. They so rarely come by too...It's Sunday, the shop's closed, the art center is closed, there's no way my editor's coming by. We have nothing to do."

"Sundays do tend to be boring. Why don't you tell me about Keita."

"Jealous?" Fai smirked back at Kurogane.

"A little. He can touch a part of you I can't. Your magic. Plus, you never mentioned him before."

Fai chuckled and turned around so that he was looking at Kurogane. "His name is Keita Mihara. He's said to be one of the few humans who can control magic in this world. He's related to the ruler by some unknown link, which does make him royalty in this world. We see each other about two or three times a year. He's not as strong as me in most magics and he only exceeds me in defenses and healing, which he obviously exceeds me in if he canheal peopleat all. He's a nice guy, busy, but nice. However, as nice as he is he will never be a light likeKuro-sama, not even close. Even if he was, he already has a lover, so there's nothing for Kuro-sama to be jealous of."

"He's a strong magician, right?" Fai nodded. "How old is he?"

Fai shrugged. "By his knowledge base I'd say he's probably twice my age. Somewhere around sixty. His magic is strong enough to slow his aging though, so I can't be sure."

"You don't look thirty..."

"Neither do you."

There was a short pause. "Yeah. I've been wondering about that... I don't seem to have aged in all seven years we've been here." The ninja gave Fai a suspicious look that most men would cower under.

Fai didn't cower. He placed a hand to his chest and grinned. "Is Kuro-sama saying that he thinks I have something to do with that?"

"Do you?"

Fai's smile faded from pure brightness to a more knowledgeable and sly smile. "Yes. I shortened my life so that our lifespan would be equal...as long as that's what you want."

"It's not what I want...but if I died before you...you'd be unhappy wouldn't you?"

"I would. My light and reason to live would be gone."

"Then I'm not angry, but I wish you would've told me what you had done."

Fai grinned in a idiotic way again and ran his fingers over his now seven stud earrings. "But I didn't want to worry you. I wasn't sure the spell would work..." 

The pair stared at each other for what seemed like ages. Kurogane seeming to be almost angry, annoyed to say the least, but Fai just staring back at him for the sake of staring. After this 'age' passed Fai was the one who broke the silence. "Want to watch me paint? We've got nothing else to do right now."

"Sure...what are you painting right now?"

Fai stood to his feet, "You'll see." Fai pulled Kurogane up by the arm into a small room and while Kurogane was looking around at the other things that Fai had painted Fai pulled out his current project and then tapped Kurogane's shoulder. 

Kurogane turned and looked at it. His face fell. Then his face brightened and he laughed. He wrapped his arms around Fai's shoulders and pulled the mage back against him so that they both looked at it. "That's your newest masterpiece?" He still chuckled.

"Hey, it looks good." Fai looked at the almost empty canvas. The only thing it held right now was a strangely familiar red circle and two black upwards curves near the bottom. "Do you like it?"

Kurogane nodded slightly. "I do, however the pork bun will like it more."

Fai grinned even wider and reached his hands up and placed them strangely on Kurogane's shoulders. He liked it when Kurogane laughed. It told him that his work for this future had paid off. It told him that they could be happy. The future seemed bright at times like these.


End file.
